All it took was 500 kb of code to take down an Iranian fuel-enriching plant. Stuxnet was responsible for the greatest cyberattack in history, but hackers aren’t finished. If there’s a door, hackers can open it. Your business may be at risk. If you don’t minimize your digital attack surfaces, hackers might be able to walk right in and take what they want. As the digital world continues to replace the physical, the stakes are higher than ever before.
Read on to learn what digital attack surfaces are, and how reducing the avenues of assault can save your IP from disaster.
A digital attack surface is a blanket term for the number of attack vectors in your digital architecture. An attack vector means a spot that may be vulnerable to cyberattack. When a hacker evaluates a target that they want to compromise, they check for attack vectors that provide the biggest bang for their buck.
Attack vectors comprise digital and physical parts of your computer infrastructure.
Think of attack vectors like chinks in your digital armor. If an attacker finds one of these chinks, they’ve discovered a vulnerability or exploit that may allow them inside to take information or wreak havoc.
An attack vector can be software-based. If a program or operating system isn’t updated, that leaves it vulnerable to attack. Even software that is updated can contain an exploit that developers haven’t yet discovered.
Hackers can gain access to these vectors via the internet, a local network, a subnet, or other means. But in some cases, they can do so physically.
Hardware can also provide an external attack surface. San Jose’s VTA public transport may have been hacked by passengers who simply plugged a USB into the digital card reader systems. Hardware without sufficient safeguards can allow intruders to take control of your systems.
Hardware may include but is not limited to desktop computers, portable devices, servers, and network devices.
Don’t forget the human element! Humans are often the weakest link in a well-functioning system. If an employee responds to a phishing email with their credentials, then a hacker might compromise your system.
Employees can accidentally bring malware into your system by plugging untrusted USBs into work computers. Or they can accidentally download the contents of an email with a malicious piece of code.
Cybersecurity is a must-have for any business that has a digital presence. A solution like Cyberpion may be what you need to batten down the hatches.
When it comes to supply chain security, proactive is best. Having a reactive approach to digital threats will cost you more, and may rob your clients of the respect and trust they had in you.
Digital attack surfaces are always expanding as we offload more and more of our physical lives into the digital realm. Don’t be “caught with your pants down” when something like Stuxnet attacks!
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