Cyber Attacks on Websites: Causes & How to Prevent Them

What is a cyber attack? Have you ever heard the term cyber attack? Simply put, a cyber attack is a criminal act carried out in the digital world.

We currently live in an era of increasingly advanced technology. One technology that is frequently used, even in our daily lives, is the internet.

You certainly use the internet every day for various needs, such as messaging apps, social media, email, and even watching videos online. Despite all the benefits the internet provides, you need to be more cautious about all kinds of threats and criminal activities that may occur.

Cyber attacks can target anyone, whether individuals or specific organizations. The perpetrators behind these cyber attacks seek to profit through illicit means.

What forms can internet attacks take? And how can businesses specifically address cyber attacks? You can find the full details below.

What Is a Cyber Attack?

Cyber attack is a criminal act carried out by hackers with the aim of damaging computer networks or systems. In addition to causing various forms of damage, cyber attacks are also typically carried out to steal important data stored in cloud databases.

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Why Should You Be Wary of Cyber Attacks?

For small businesses, cyber attacks do not yet seem to be a top priority. Most small businesses believe they have nothing that would make them a target for cyber attacks.

In fact, small businesses are one of the most common targets of cyber attacks. This is, of course, because small businesses often lack adequate protection—or have no protection at all.

According to several studies, the total cost of cyberattacks in 2022 alone was around 4 million dollars or 60 trillion rupiah, with an average of 25 thousand dollars—equivalent to 380 million rupiah—per attack.

These figures represent the losses borne by the companies or businesses themselves. What are the consequences of a cyberattack? Here’s an explanation:

1. Disrupted Business Operations

Cyberattacks can disrupt your business operations. For example, your data might be hit by a ransomware attack, preventing you from accessing important documents.

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Furthermore, if you sell products through a website, there’s a risk that your site will go down, and customers won’t be able to make transactions as usual. This will inevitably lead to a loss of revenue for your business.

2. Loss of Customer Trust

When news of your network system being paralyzed reaches your customers, there’s a high likelihood they’ll begin to lose trust in your business. This is because customers naturally don’t want to transact with a business that has a vulnerable system—their data could be compromised as a result of a cyberattack on your system.

3. Data Breaches

One of the greatest threats posed by cyberattacks to businesses is data breaches. It’s not just customer data that’s at risk—your company’s data is also vulnerable. A leak of either type of data can have a major impact on your company’s reputation, which in turn can affect your finances—whether through a decline in transactions or the exposure of your business strategies to competitors.

The financial losses your company would incur could paralyze your business operations for a long time—or even permanently. Therefore, it is crucial for your business—whether small or large—to prioritize cybersecurity.

The cost of using cybersecurity services is generally far lower than the financial losses you would incur if your business fell victim to a cyberattack.

What Are the Common Motives Behind Cyberattacks?

Every criminal act is driven by a reason or motive, and cyberattacks are no exception. Why do hackers carry out cyber attacks? What are their motives?

Below are at least three common motives that hackers have for carrying out cyberattacks.

1. Stealing Important Documents

The first and most common motive in cyber crime is the theft of important documents. Hackers look for vulnerabilities to gain access to a system and ultimately steal important documents that can be of use to them.

2. Defamation

Competition in the business world is extremely fierce. It’s no surprise that some business operators resort to cheating or underhanded tactics to bring down their competitors.

One way to damage a competitor’s reputation or defame their company is by carrying out a cyber attack. Once a company’s reputation is ruined, the resulting losses can be enormous.

3. To Make a Large Financial Gain

The final motive frequently observed in numerous cases of cyber attacks against large companies is to profit from large sums of money. After launching an attack, some cyber attackers intentionally lock down the system and demand a ransom to restore access.

In addition to this method, cyber attackers can also profit by selling stolen information. Stolen data can be sold to various parties seeking it, and such data is typically sold at a high price.

What Are the Types of Cyber Attacks?

In the business world, there are various types of cyber attacks that commonly occur and are important for you to know.

1. Malware

The first type of cyber attack that frequently occurs in the business world is malware. You’ve surely heard this term before, haven’t you?

Malware is a virus sent to a computer or system. This virus can delete important documents stored in a database or even steal them.

A malware attack can occur if you access an insecure website. Any website displaying a “not secure” warning at the top means its security system hasn’t been properly reinforced, which can provide an opportunity for cyberattack perpetrators to spread malware.

2. SQL Injection

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. SQL is a programming language designed for all needs related to databases.

SQL programming with weak security measures or poor coding practices can make a system an easy target for cyber attackers to launch an SQL injection attack. Hackers can manipulate the database through this attack.

3. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service is a cyber attack frequently experienced by business website owners. This attack can slow down a website to the point where visitors will immediately leave the website.

How does a DDoS attack work to slow down a website? The mechanism is quite simple. The website is flooded with traffic from numerous fake users, causing a massive spike in traffic. When a website’s traffic becomes too high—even exceeding the server’s capacity—it can cause the website to slow down.

4. Phishing

You may often hear the term phishing in cases of telephone scams, often referred to as voice phishing. In the business world, however, phishing falls under the category of cyberattacks, where perpetrators can steal data through this type of attack.

Phishing is carried out by hackers by sending emails containing one or more links. When these links are opened, the hacker can gain access to the system and steal data.

5. Spoofing

Similar to phishing, spoofing is also a form of cyber attack disguised as fraud. Perpetrators of cyber attacks impersonate government authorities or other entities operating under direct government oversight, then carry out their actions to gain access to the system.

How Can You Protect Your Business Against Cyber Attacks?

The rise in cyber attacks means that as a business owner, you must be more vigilant in protecting your company’s data. Don’t let your system be compromised and all your company’s critical data stolen.

To combat cyber attacks, there are several steps you can take, including:

1. Install Cyber Protection

Prevent viruses or malware from infiltrating your company’s system by installing Cyber Protection.

Cyber Protection is one of Cloudmatika’s security products that can help provide enhanced protection for your company’s systems.

This product features data backup and recovery to make it easier for you to back up your company’s data. Additionally, in terms of costs, you can significantly reduce expenses for backup storage space by using the cloud.

2. Use Disaster Recovery

The final way to prevent cyber attacks is through disaster recovery. You can use disaster recovery to stop the damage that has already occurred.

Disaster Recovery can help you restore lost data. The good news is that you can continue your operations in full while the disaster recovery process is underway. Furthermore, disaster recovery can also help you prevent reinfection of your company’s cloud infrastructure.

Want to learn more about this service? Contact Cloudmatika right now for more information.