SMBs under Attack:
Struggle with Trojans and Backdoors!

SMBs under Attack: Struggle with Exploits, Trojans and Backdoors

Despite ongoing cybersecurity efforts, Small- and Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs) continue to suffer from exploits, Trojans, and backdoor attacks. SMBs, the backbone of most national economies, find themselves under siege, facing the same frequency of cyber attacks in 2023 as they did in 2022, according to a recent report by Kaspersky.

Vulnerabilities faced by SMBs cannot be underestimated. Awareness and investment in robust cybersecurity solutions must become a top priority to protect SMBs from evolving cyber threats. As SMBs grapple with new challenges such as managing remote workforces, combating inflation, addressing supply chain issues, and innovating revenue streams, their cybersecurity defenses often lag.

The most significant threat to SMBs are exploits, which accounted for most breaches. These malicious programs capitalize on software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or disrupt a system’s function. Unsurprisingly, SMBs also face threats from Trojans and backdoors, which can load malware, enable remote control of a victim’s device, and perform destructive actions without the user’s knowledge or consent.

Read also: Backdoors surpass Ransomware as the Top Attack Vector

SMBs are often more of a target than they realize. While an attacker’s potential take is smaller, it’s a low-risk attack and SMB organizations often have less investment in cybersecurity than larger organizations. SMBs are particularly susceptible to Ransomware and business email compromise attacks.

As SMBs look for ways to secure their digital landscape and assets, focusing on user education and securing their connected IoT and OT devices can provide significant returns. These devices are often used by hackers to gain access to a network and in many SMB environments, network access lets attackers move laterally to breach core IT systems.

The continuous cyber threats faced by SMBs underline the importance of robust security measures and defense mechanisms. Futurism recommends few corrective security measures to mitigate the challenges:

• User Education and Awareness Training: The human factor often serves as the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain. Comprehensive security training programs should be implemented to educate employees about various threats such as spear phishing attack, social engineering, attacks, and malware. This can help employees recognize and report potential threats, enhancing the overall security posture.

• Investment in Security Infrastructure: Despite budget constraints, SMBs must prioritize investment in robust security technologies. This includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, antivirus software, and endpoint security. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can also be considered for businesses with limited resources, as they provide cost-effective security management and monitoring.

• Regular Software Updates and Patch Management:Outdated software and systems is a common avenue for cyber threats. Regular updates and prompt patching of all software, including operating systems and applications, can help eliminate vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit.

• Implementing Multi-factor Authentication (MFA):MFA provides an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide at least two forms of identification before accessing systems. This can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised. SMBs can deploy identity and access management solution to bring context and intelligence to decisions about who should get the access to and to what thus, ensuring risk-based authentication.

• Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing:These proactive measures help identify and address security vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing provide insights into potential weaknesses, and penetration testing (ethical hacking) tests the effectiveness of security measures.

• Secure IoT and OT devices:IoT and OT devices often serve as entry points for cyberattacks. SMBs should ensure these devices are secured with advanced IoT security, change default passwords, and apply strict access controls.

• Implementing Incident Response Plan:Every SMB should have a well-defined and rehearsed endpoint detection and incident response plan. This helps minimize the damage in case of a security breach and allows for a quicker recovery.

• Cybersecurity Insurance:As a final line of defense, cybersecurity insurance can protect businesses from the financial fallout of a cyber attack. It’s important to choose a policy that suits the specific needs and risks of the business.

• Regulatory Compliance:SMBs must stay up-to-date and compliant with regional and industry-specific cybersecurity regulations. Non-compliance can result in substantial penalties and reputational damage.

Addressing these aspects would create a resilient security infrastructure, enhancing the capability of SMBs to defend against and respond to cyber threats effectively.

As the line between work and home networks blur, with many employees still working remotely, it is advisable for SMBs to employ outside service providers to maintain cyber hygiene on IT and IoT/OT devices. This is why more SMBs are turning to zero trust security solutions.

While it’s clear that SMBs face an uphill battle in the face of increasing cyber threats, the call to action from cybersecurity experts is unambiguous: SMBs need to prioritize their cybersecurity investments, educate their employees, and ensure all their devices are secure to stand a chance against the relentless wave of exploits, Trojans, and backdoors.

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