A Constant Threat: The Impact of Cyber Hacks [Infographic]

43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.

Hackers attack a computer with internet access every 11 seconds.

The average cost of a corporate data breach is $116 million.

Malware: Malicious software such as spyware, ransomware, viruses and worms that breach a network, typically after the user clicks a link or email attachment.

Phishing Attack: Sending fraudulent communications, usually via email, with the goal of stealing sensitive data or distributing malware, typically using social engineering tactics.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack: Commonly known as eavesdropping attacks, cybercriminals insert themselves into a two-party transaction in order to steal data or login credentials.

Denial-of-Service Attack: DDoS attacks flood systems, servers or networks with traffic to exhaust bandwidth, rendering them unable to fulfill legitimate requests.

SQL Injection: Malicious code is inserted into a server that uses SQL, such as a website search box, forcing it to reveal hidden information.

Zero-Day Exploit: This attack targets a known network vulnerability before the company has had time to implement a solution.

DNS Tunneling: Exploiting the DNS protocol and evading firewalls, this attack routes DNS requests to a server controlled by the attacker, which sends malicious data back to the compromised device.

What happened? A cyber worm—malware that propagates on its own without the need for a software host—was deployed by 23-year-old graduate student Robert Tappan Morris. While it did not destroy data, the worm delayed critical military and university communications and functions for several days.

The target: Public and private research centers and prestigious colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Johns Hopkins and NASA.

The outcome: While the cyber hacker claimed it was an experiment gone wrong, evidence uncovered by the FBI suggested otherwise. Morris was indicted in 1989.

Estimated impact: $100,000–More than $1 million

Use two-factor authentication for logging in

Create a security plan

Encrypt and back up data

Consider cyber insurance

Set up a firewall

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