Welcome to Our Cybersecurity Series
Most people don’t think about cybersecurity until something goes wrong. Our Cybersecurity Series is here to change that. Each edition contains practical advice, real-life examples and simple steps you can take to better protect your business, your home and your family.
Better still, we’re offering a free Winter Cybersecurity Checkup to help identify any obvious vulnerabilities and give you peace of mind.
This week in ‘Hacking 101’ we cover off misconceptions about hacking and tips on how to stay safe.
If you missed last weeks article “Cybersecurity only happens to other people.” you can read it here.
Hacking 101: Most Cyber Attacks Aren’t What You Think
The truth is, hackers rarely “break in” the way we see on the movies. A lot of the time it’s just automated software scanning the internet looking for easy opportunities.
Most attacks follow a pretty predictable pattern.
Find a target. Exploit human behaviour. Gain access.
First, they look for something vulnerable. This part is largely automated now. Attackers use tools that scan millions of internet connections searching for weak spots – old software, exposed devices, leaked passwords and systems that haven’t been updated properly.
Then comes the human side of it.
Cybercriminals are very good at understanding how people behave especially when they’re busy. So the emails and messages are designed to create urgency, curiosity or pressure.
You’ve probably seen some of them before:
“Your invoice is overdue.”
“You missed a delivery.”
“Your Microsoft password expires today.”
“Can you urgently process this payment?”
The goal usually isn’t to “hack” someone in the movie sense. It’s just to get someone to click, trust or react before they stop to think.
And once someone gets in, things can stay quiet for a surprisingly long time.
Sometimes attackers sit inside email accounts watching conversations. Sometimes they steal passwords in the background. Sometimes ransomware is deployed immediately. Other times they wait weeks before doing anything noticeable at all.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that cybercrime only affects large organisations.
In reality, smaller businesses are often easier targets because they don’t think they can afford robust protection. And households are increasingly exposed too – especially now that working from home has blurred the line between personal and business technology.
The other thing people are often surprised by is how much stolen information is already floating around online.
Millions of usernames and passwords from old data breaches are bought, sold and traded every year. Which means if you reuse passwords across multiple websites, one old breach can sometimes unlock a lot more than you realise.
That’s why password reuse remains one of the biggest cybersecurity risks today.
As part of our Winter Cybersecurity Series, we’re offering free cybersecurity checkups and dark web exposure checks for businesses and households. A practical look at whether your devices, accounts or passwords may already be more exposed than you think.
Because the best time to fix a cybersecurity problem is before someone else finds it first.
Not sure where your risks are? We’ll help you find them and fix them.
Contact us for your free checkup today. Email krishna@aa.net.nz or phone 021 947 357
Check in again over the next few weeks for practical tips around Password Security, Parental Controls and Cybersecurity Maintenance
