What is an Exploit Kit? SMBs Need to Know

Summary: This 3-minute article explains what hacker exploit kits are and what you can do about them. By understanding how exploit kits can attack your company, you will be able to find the IT resources necessary to defend against deadly cyberattacks. Contact DIGIGUARD CYBER SECURITY at 833-33-CYBER (833-332-9237) or visit www.DIGIGUARDsecurity.com to schedule a cyber risk analysis and discuss the best website protection possible for your small to midsized business.

Automation of tasks makes all kinds of work easier, more efficient and more cost-effective. However, hackers have not been asleep in this arena. Exploit Kits are an example of automation used for malicious acts. Cybercriminals armed with exploit kits use compromised websites to redirect web traffic, scan for vulnerabilities and infect systems with malware.

Exploit kits have become one of the most widespread malware mass distribution methods for hackers. Once successful exploit kit programs have been created, cyber thieves also sell or rent the campaigns to third parties in underground markets.

However, as is the case with most automated processes, there are several steps leading up to the completed task. Exploit kits are designed to roll out a series of events for the cyber infection to be successful. Here are some of the steps:

Exploit kits became very popular with hackers because some require little or no coding knowledge. Also, because they have become turn-key operations, they can be sold to third parties as ready to go. Therefore, beyond the exploit opportunities, cyber thieves can capitalize on the sale of the programs they have created. Some of the exploit kits used in the past are, Angler, Blackhole, Fiesta, Flashpack, GrandSoft, Magnitude, Hunter HanJuan, Magnitude, Rig and Neutrino, to name a few. However, new attacks are always on the horizon.

Small Business Website Security

SMBs cannot ignore the need to protect against exploit kits. SMB owners often feel that they are not large enough to interest cybercriminals. They may not understand that security for a website is something they don’t need to worry about or they have enough. Unfortunately, 60 percent of small to midsized businesses have gone out of business within six months of a cyberattack over the past several years. Therefore, it is crucial SMBs protect against exploit attacks. A cyber risk analysis should be done by IT professionals who understand what they are looking for and all the steps that must be taken to ensure you have minimized or locked down all potential vulnerabilities.

Professional IT security consulting is the best way to ensure you have the proper layers of cyber security in place to protect your SMB. They can perform a threat assessment to see what action needs to be taken to protect your business data better. Unfortunately, the most prolific hackers can eventually breach most cyber protections with enough time and resources. However, with robust cyber security in place, cyberattacks of all kinds can be spotted early, mitigated and contained before data is breached and extensive damage is done to your business network and all its endpoint devices.

Unfortunately, cyber threat protection against hacks has become too complex for amateurs. Many essential considerations are far beyond the expertise of the most tech-savvy users. Professional IT security consulting is the best way to protect your business fully. In addition, IT pros can help you devise a detailed cyber incident response plan.

DIGIGUARD Cyber Security is an IT security service specializing in cyber threat protection for small to midsized companies. In addition, DIGIGUARD can provide your SMB with powerful layers of security, making it more difficult for hackers to access your network. Therefore, your company’s data will be safer and less likely to be breached in the face of our expanding mobile work environment. Furthermore, DIGIGUARD can assess your cyber vulnerability and work with you to ensure you have the best network and data protection solutions for your business.

Contact DIGIGUARD CYBER SECURITY at 833-33-CYBER (833-332-9237) or visit www.DIGIGUARDsecurity.com to explore prevention strategies to guard against deadly cyberattacks and other cyber defense strategies and protocols to best protect your SMB’s hard-earned data.