As the reliance on technology increases, so does the risk of cyber attacks. Cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes, as a successful attack can result in financial losses, damage to reputation, and loss of customer trust.
In this article, we will look at real-life examples of businesses that have successfully fought off hackers and the steps they took to defend against the attacks. By learning from these case studies, we can gain valuable insights into how to effectively protect our businesses from cyber threats.
Common cyber threats faced by businesses
Before we start to talk about the success stories of companies targeted by cyberattacks, it is important to understand the common cyber threats faced by them. Most web-based companies are subject to these threats, so it may give you an idea of the scope of the things.
→ Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that infects the user’s device and files, while also deactivating the user’s access to the device. Then the attacker demands a ransom to give access back to the user. As a result of a ransomware attack, there is a high chance that you will pay the ransom or risk your files being deleted permanently.
→ Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are very common; according to Statista, they made up 25.9% of all cyberattacks in 2020. These attacks aim to retrieve sensitive data from an authorized user through malicious emails, links, and websites. Usually, the attacker is disguised as a reputable source and tricks the user into sharing personal information.
→ Man-in-the-middle attacks
These attacks are carried out by intercepting the communication between two parties. The primary purpose of man-in-the-middle attacks is to steal sensitive data and interfere with the server’s operations. A remote employee receiving resources and providing new input to the server would be targeted by these attackers. These attacks are significant because they directly target sensitive data and can have destructive consequences.
Preventing attacks on web-based businesses
The below examples are unique in the way that companies were highly successful in isolating the attack and controlling the attack zone. They all did result in compromised user information, but the deciding factor was the technologies and processes they used to prevent further breaches.
With the emergence of complex cyberattacks on company servers, you need a modern approach to cybersecurity. All the risks mentioned above and the attacks targeted by these companies can be mitigated with the use of the Security Access Service Edge (SASE).
To explain, SASE is the convergence of network security and network connectivity. It is designed to protect networks against ransomware, malware, and phishing attacks. By combining the two in a single service together, SASE offers streamlined and bulletproof security.
For more information on SASE, visit https://nordlayer.com/sase/
Case studies of companies fought off hackers
✔️ 1-) Maersk attack in 2017
Maersk, which is commonly accepted as the largest shipping company in the world, was attacked by cybercriminals. This was a massive malware attack that targeted another company that Maersk had connections to, and it spread to Maersk’s systems.
The attackers used Petya ransomware to attack their system, breaching Maersk’s transportation system and delaying thousands of shipments for several days. This breach happened because Petya ransomware was able to exploit the older version of Microsoft they had.
Although they lost about $300 million in profit loss during this attack, Maersk was fast to react and was able to repel the attack only within 10 days of the initial breach. As soon as they realized the breach, Maersk shut down all of their systems and managed to isolate the ransomware before it spread. Due to the critical decision to quarantine its servers, Maersk successfully defended itself against more severe losses.
✔️ 2-) Chubb attack in 2020
In 2020, the insurance company Chubb suffered a ransomware attack that affected its operations in North America and Latin America. The attack was carried out as a Maze ransomware attack, which is designed to steal sensitive data and lock the user out of the devices.
Chubb was able to minimize the impact of this attack thanks to their well-thought recovery plan (being a cyber insurance company themselves helped a lot), and the backups they had.
Although they were unable to prevent the attackers from having access to the email addresses of their executives and many other users, they were up and running in a short period of time without paying the ransom.
✔️ 3-) Facebook data breach in 2018
In 2018, Facebook announced a detected data breach that put 50 million users’ sensitive information at risk. Facebook stated that this data breach was caused by a vulnerability in their developer APIs. Attackers used the API to gain access to information such as names, email addresses, and locations.
After the company’s investigation, they realized that the initial breach happened in July 2017, but they detected the attack in September 2018. Facebook hastily fixed their APIs and the vulnerability, defending other users from the attackers. They also reset the security tokens of the users to provide additional security to user accounts.
The company also stated that no account was compromised and no credit card information was taken. Thanks to their prompt response to working on their vulnerabilities, Facebook managed to control the scope of the attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment