Cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to attack businesses, and in recent years, one of the key concerns has been backdoor attacks. For the uninitiated, backdoor attacks typically are associated with malware installation, which gives hackers an unauthorized access point to a system/device, or resource. Through such attacks, companies have had their cameras hacked, data stolen, and suffered serious other malware-related breaches. Small and midsize businesses are more vulnerable, because cybercriminals are aware of their lack of understanding of cybersecurity and minimal budgets.
More on backdoor attacks
One of prime reasons why you should be worried about backdoor attacks is the difficulty in finding a backdoor. However, it should be noted that not all backdoor are malicious. Some are created with intent, so that testing and other activities can be done accordingly. Sometimes, it takes weeks, or even months, to find a backdoor used by hackers, and by then, a considerable damage has been done. Hackers usually rely on backdoor attacks to steal data, launch further ransomware or malware attacks, modify or delete data, or to obtain other credentials.
How to prevent a backdoor attack?
- Use a firewall. Ensure that all networked devices, including IP cameras, are placed behind a firewall. You can also use something called network segmentation, to avoid the extent to which a hacker can access your system.
- Use an antivirus software. Make sure that your company has invested in a good antimalware and antivirus solution. There are all kinds of products in the market, and some are great at finding trojans, hidden malware.
- Use strong passwords. Unique and long passwords are hard to hack – period. A hacker cannot use your passwords to gain access to a system, because they wouldn’t be able to crack passwords in the first place.
- Use multifactor authentication. This is another important thing that must be considered, especially for privilege users. The idea is to add that second or third layer of protection, beyond the password, so that a backdoor cannot be created.
- Use network testing and scanning. Testing and scanning IT environments and networks on a regular basis is highly important. Check online for more information on how companies are using penetration testing to find existing backdoors.
When it comes to backdoor attacks, it is also wise to have an incident response plan in place, so that appropriate steps can be taken, in case a backdoor is detected.
