As a business owner, like it or not, you are a target for cybercrime. However, what you might not realize is that not all cyberattacks are the same. You have surely heard of viruses and malware, but companies offering IT support in Los Angeles are now warning businesses about advanced persistent threats or APTs.
What are APTs? First, these are cyber threats that are largely undetectable, which make them much more dangerous than the loud and obnoxious virus or malware. Additionally, these threats have several phases and it’s important that you understand these:
Phase #1 - Gathering Information
The first phase of APTs is information gathering. Some call these “reconnaissance missions.” Basically, attackers use this phase to learn more about their targets. The more the attackers get to know their targets, the easier it is to take advantage of them.
Phase #2 - The Start of the Attack
Now that the attacker has information about the company, they can begin their attack. If you don’t have the proper IT support in Los Angeles to stop these attacks, you might find that your company has a long, hard road ahead to get back to normal. Why? Because this is the phase where attackers get into the network. They do this by using social engineering, phishing, and other methods of attack.
Phase #3 - Create a Plan
At this point, the attacker has access to the system. However, they don’t want to be discovered, so they keep a very low profile. Instead, they use this phase to collect even more information and to create a plan. Additionally, the attack begins to spread throughout the company’s infrastructure. It’s frightening to know that attackers plan several modes of attack, so if one goes wrong, they always have a backup.
Phase #4 - Capture and Attack
By now, the attacker has set up everything perfectly, and companies still do not know that their networks are under attack. Additionally, to make matters even worse, the attacker starts to install malware into the system. So, not only do you have an APT to contend with, you also must deal with malware. However, you can only fix something if you know it’s there.
Phase #5 - Extraction of Data
Finally, the attacker can get what they want. By the fifth phase, they can start pulling sensitive data from the network, and again, you might not even realize that this is happening. Even if you have network monitoring in place, many times, these attackers only take very small amounts of data from the system. So, network monitoring is a valuable asset, but it can’t often detect these tiny movements of data. What do attackers do with the information? They generally use it for profit or for some type of another gain, but at what expense? Well, at the expense of your company.
If this starts to feel like it is overwhelming, then you may want to contact the experts at DCG Technical Solutions, Inc. We offer a full range of IT support in Los Angeles, including helping companies battle APTs. For more information about what we offer, contact us.
