As a General Counsel (GC), you protect your company's confidential information. But with the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are five of the most common cybersecurity risks you need to be aware of and tips on staying safe out there.

5 Cybersecurity Risks

Phishing Scams

Phishing is one of the most common types of cyberattacks, and it can be tough to detect. These scams typically involve an email that appears to be from a legitimate source but contains a link that leads to a malicious website. Once on the website, the user may be prompted to enter confidential information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers. 

Pro Tip: Train your employees on how to spot a phishing email, and never click on links from unknown sources. “See something, say something” is the name of the game – encourage employees to share any phishing scams they receive with the company, keeping these practices top of mind. 

Malware

Malware is a type of software that is designed to damage or disable computers and computer systems. It can come in many forms, including viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware. Malware can be installed on your system without your knowledge or consent and can lead to data loss or theft, as well as decreased productivity and system performance. 

Pro Tip: Install reliable anti-malware software on all of your company's devices, and keep it up-to-date. Send out reminders to employees about updates in the software so that employees don’t have a false sense of security. The software isn’t effective if it isn’t updated regularly. 

SQL Injection Attacks

SQL injection attacks take advantage of vulnerabilities in web applications that use Structured Query Language (SQL) databases. Attackers inject malicious code into the database, which can then be executed when the application is used. This can result in the disclosure of confidential information, such as customer data or financial records. 

Pro Tip: To prevent these attacks, make sure that all input fields in your web applications are validated before being processed by the database.

Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

DoS attacks are designed to overload a system with traffic so that it can no longer handle legitimate requests. This can cause businesses to lose significant revenue as customers are unable to access their services or make purchases. 

Pro Tip: DoS attacks can be prevented by implementing rate limiting on your website or application so that it can only process a certain number of requests per second.

Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a user's files and demands a ransom payment in order to decrypt them. This type of attack can be devastating for businesses, preventing access to critical data. 

Pro Tip: To protect yourself from ransomware, make sure that you have backups of all important data, and do not click on links or attachments from unknown sources. This goes for all your employees – another item to send out regular reminders about. 

These are just a few cybersecurity risks you need to be aware of as a GC. With the constantly evolving landscape of threats, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest threats and best practices for prevention. 

By taking proactive measures and educating yourself and your employees, you can help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a cyberattack and keep confidential information safe. LinkSquares can also help improve your company’s cybersecurity posture; check out this guide to learn how.