Top five Cyber Risks you should be aware of in 2021

The internet has slowly become the number one media source for people around the world. With that many users daily, it is only a matter of time before someone suffers from a cyber-attack. Especially during the pandemic of coronavirus, where people spend more time on the internet than ever.

Another reason why these cyber-attacks continue to grow in 2021  is the fact that many people started working remotely.

This type of work and the increasing usage of the internet left us wondering about some of the cyber risks you should be aware of in 2021. In this article, we hope to cover some of the most frequent cyber-attacks you should be wary of.

Why is cyber-security more important than ever before?

Yes, cybercriminals have existed for a while on the internet. However, this year things might be a little different. Namely, as people spend more time online and the technology keeps evolving, we must expect new ways in which someone might endanger our privacy. That is why thinking about your own cybersecurity is very important.

Especially if you are frequently online or working remotely with sensitive data. With more free time on their hands, cyber-criminals will continue to target people with weak cybersecurity and extract personal or business information. Because of that, everyone who is spending a good amount of time online daily needs to find a way to improve their security.

Cyber risks you should be aware of

According to a recent study, about 90 percent of leaders and IT experts confirmed that they have seen an increasing number of cyber-attacks in 2020. A majority of those people have stated that cyber-attacks became more sophisticated than ever before.

Namely, many hackers have been working on new ways to invade someone’s online privacy. Although there are many cyber risks you should be aware of you can easily protect your privacy online. With that being said, we will dive into some of the most anticipated ways someone might create a risk for your online security and privacy.

Top five Cyber Risks you should be aware of in 2021

1. Pandemic related phishing

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many people spend more time in the comfort of their homes. This has led to an increasing number of online users in the latter year. However, it is anticipated that cybercriminals will continue to use the pandemic as a way to try and breach private information and data.

Namely, they can send a link claiming that it holds information about drugs or vaccines related to the virus. When clicking on this link, you will allow them to infiltrate your device, which can later result in them extracting your private information. The best way to solve this is to avoid clicking on unrelated and uncertified links.

2. Evolution: From a Nigerian prince to Government agencies

If you have been using the internet for a while, you might be aware and familiar with the “Nigerian Prince” scheme. If not, here is the explanation: A group of phishers would introduce themselves as foreign royalty promising millions of dollars in return for your bank account information.

However, with the situation we have today, this version is updated. Instead of introducing themselves as royalty, they claim they are from a government agency wishing to have your bank account information to send you a stimulus payment. More or less, the phishing scam remains the same. The only difference is the fact they change their names and cause. This is one of the cyber risks you should be aware of at any given time.
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3. Social media-based attacks

Social media has become one of the main sources of entertainment, media, news in our everyday lives. Because of that, cybercriminals will probably increase their attacks via social platforms. Namely, as a recent study shows, the most frequent way of invading people’s privacy will be by creating fake advertisements.

Once the user clicks on the advertisement and enters log-in information the website will lead you to a malicious website. This website will, later on, collect every piece of information it can, without you even knowing it. However, there is a prediction that cybercriminals will aim more for businesses than individuals in 2021. That does not mean that you should not watch out.

4. Deep-fakes

Deep-fakes are one of the most intelligent ways of manipulating someone. Namely, using deep-fake technology will probably be the biggest cyber risks you should be aware of not only for 2021. but in the future in general. Another issue might be that the deep-fake technology might increase the efficiency of phishing scams and elevate them to a whole new level. Due to the convincing imagery, this type of security threat might cost businesses billions of dollars.
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5. Attacking remote working employees

As a consequence of the pandemic, many people started working from their homes instead of their offices. This has led to an increasing amount of individuals working with sensitive, private company data away from their company seats. This means that many of these employees are not familiar with the concepts of cyber-criminal intents and are unable to provide much business data protection. Another growing concern is that Cloud storage has seen a large number of users lately.

Working unprotected with business information and uploading and using Cloud storage almost daily is certainly going to be one of the issues businesses will face.

Moreover, businesses must ensure stable and good protection against these types of attacks if they want to secure their business data and information. Leaking information might set a business back by a margin and impose serious financial and reputational losses.

Cyber attacks are happening all around us. Daily. And the consequences can be scary. However – if you think ahead of time and prepare yourself in advance, you shouldn’t experience any cyber risks.

So, do it. Explore your options and pick the one that will not only protect your online data but the one that will suit your needs perfectly.