Malware, Ransomware, Spam and Phishing attacks can bring a business to a halt, cost money to fix and cost reputation. Malware refers to a piece of software which takes over the person’s computer. The cyber criminal could exercise control over the PC through such software and use it to steal personal details. Ransomware, on the other hand, limits the access to the computer and demands a ransom for normal operation of the same. Phishing is basically an attempt to trick people over an email, SMS, Call or any other means. The hacker would try to steal your info in order to get access to the social media, Net Banking, among other things.
We usually take internet security for granted till the time we get a first-hand lesson. Many people believe that these hackers target only the common people, however, it’s not true. In August 2017, a petrochemical company in Saudi Arabia was hit by a severe cyber assault. If you dive a little deeper into such kinds of news; you will find that monetary loss, data destruction and extortion of money are the main goals of these hackers . Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have lately become the center of attraction for online fraudsters and hackers owing to the unique economy of the said countries. In yet another incident which took place in January 2017, the computers were made inoperable at the National Industrialization Company(Tasnee). It took a great deal of effort and financial resources to get the machines back to work.
Several researchers have concluded that UAE leads the table in number of Malware attacks that come into force through tainted networks and media devices. There have been numerous instances of security breaches and it is estimated that every single breach costs the company a massive amount of $3.7 million. All these have led to companies and organizations taking proactive measures to avoid the attacks. There is a requirement of change in the mindset of organizations, where they need to pay attention to cyber security as much as they are paying to other constituents of business. Several IT companies are involved in providing services which help companies in avoiding such security breaches and threats.