What is a Cyber Threat?

A cyber threat is any action or event that could result in an unwanted impact on IT infrastructures.

These could include cybercriminals, cyberattacks, security vulnerabilities, and potential attack vectors.

The 5 most common cyber threats are:

  • Social engineering
  • Ransomware
  • DDoS attacks
  • Third-party Software
  • Cloud technology vulnerabilities 

How to Address Cyber Threats

The impact of cyber threats can be significantly reduced with the right security controls. The following list of controls will address a broad range of threats, giving organizations the highest chances of achieving cyber resilience.

  • Train staff to recognize common cyber threats and cybercriminal tactics.
  • Keep all software updated.
  • Monitor both the internal and external attack surfaces for vulnerabilities.
  • Use a firewall and keep it updated.
  • Manage all user access.
  • Implement multi-factor authentication.

Awareness training is the best method of cyber threat mitigation since humans are the weakest links in every security program.

The 5 biggest threats to cybersecurity in 2021 include:

  • Uneducated staff
  • Phishing attacks
  • Ransomware
  • Data leakage
  • Data breaches
  • Insider threats

Key takeaways

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    Cyber threats include any events that could impact sensitive resources or digital business continuity.
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    The best method of cyber threat mitigation is awareness training in the workplace.
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    Organizations should develop a clear incident response to support efficient cyber threat remediation efforts.
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