Surfing the web plays such a strong role in the daily lives of users, that it's almost uncomfortable to imagine life before it. As technology has advanced, so have its users, utilizing search engines to bring ease and efficiency to their lives. This has pushed individuals and businesses forward in many ways but has also caused them to be vulnerable in other ways.
As the web landscape consistently changes, it's important for users to adapt with it. If they don't, they put themselves and their information at risk. Web threats are growing in consistency and popularity with today's technical agenda, as 76% of scanned websites were found to have vulnerabilities in 2016 according to a study conducted by Symantec.
It is important for organizations to know the purpose behind web threats in order to completely understand why taking action against them is necessary. Any time there is a weak spot in your system, whether that be a vulnerable server, a website that isn't secure, or a weak anti-virus/security system, there is always one major component you are trying to protect: data. Users responsible for web threats want to exploit sensitive data to compromise organizations. In order to avoid this, businesses need to be ready with a defense to prevent an attack from happening.
PAINFUL PLUGINS
A plugin is a piece of software that acts as an add-on to a web browser, giving the user additional functions within the browser. While plugins can increase efficiency, it's important to conduct proper research before using a plugin you aren't familiar with. Regardless of automatic updates and security, plugins can become a major security threat.
UPKEEP ON UPDATES
Updates have been around ever since technology started to evolve. While updates have been portrayed as an annoying "last step" for users, they are an extremely important part of the web threat defense process. If your organization isn't regularly updating your websites, servers, programs, and firewalls, cybercriminals will take advantage and steal your data.
BEST PRACTICES
Overall, the goal is to eliminate the possibility of becoming victim to a web attack. It's important to consistently check your website for any vulnerabilities and scan for malware or other threats daily. Don't trust every plugin you see, and be picky about the ones you utilize. When surfing the web, always be on the lookout for suspicious links and websites.
According to Symantec, browser vulnerabilities are slowly decreasing over time with new security measures, but as the web landscape is consistently changing it continues to threaten users and entire organizations. Don't allow your IT environment to fall vulnerable to these ever-changing threats.
Five Nines conducts routine Network Health Assessments on all clients to ensure the safety and consistency of their systems. To learn more about what our team looks for, reach out to us today!
