When we think about espionage, we often picture characters like James Bond, who travel to distant places, assume false identities, infiltrate organizations, and steal confidential information. However, with the advent of digitization, our society has been introduced to a new form of espionage—cyber espionage. Cyber espionage is becoming more common as technology progresses, and our reliance on digital systems grows. It is distinguished by the fact that it takes place covertly. As such, people and businesses must be aware of this and take the necessary precautions to protect their sensitive data. If you believe your valuable data could be at risk, please don’t hesitate to contact Port Security Services to learn more about cybersecurity and how our security experts can assist you today.
What is Cyber Espionage?
Cyber espionage, also called “cyber spying,” is a type of cyberattack in which an authorized user attempts to steal classified or sensitive data or intellectual property (IP). People, organizations, or companies typically carry out this evil act for economic gain, competitive advantage, or political reasons. For example, a business may conduct cyber espionage to steal IP or trade secrets from a rival. At the same time, a government entity may do so to obtain sensitive information about foreign countries. However, this breach can also be performed to cause reputational harm to the victim, exposing private information and questionable business practices. It’s important to understand that the data gathered in cyber espionage is typically inaccessible to the general public.
What Are Common Tactics?
Cyber espionage is often categorized as an advanced persistent threat (APT), meaning an intruder establishes an undetected presence in a network to obtain sensitive data over a prolonged period unlawfully. An APT attack is meticulously planned and designed to infiltrate a specific organization and evade existing security measures. Cybercriminals often employ the following tactics to obtain sensitive information:
- Spear phishing
- Malware distribution
- Social engineering
- Watering hole attacks
- Supply chain attacks
- Trojan or fake apps
- Catfishing
- Insider attacks
How to Prevent it?
Cyber attacks for espionage are usually remarkably undetectable online and are frequently well-funded. Therefore, knowing what you can do to reduce the danger of cyber espionage is crucial. Firstly, you should use strong passwords and implement multi-factor authentication. Establishing a company policy is beneficial to ensure that employees mitigate the risk of cyber attacks. In addition, you should regularly update your software and security systems. This will eliminate bugs and crash-related issues while ensuring you benefit from improved capabilities. Encryption for sensitive data is also essential. Using a secret key that requires a password to decode it will help protect your data, as it won’t be reasonable even if someone has access to it without consent.
Nevertheless, the most crucial step you can take to protect your sensitive information from cybercriminals is partnering with a security firm that has the experience and expertise to respond to a sophisticated cyber threat. Contact Port Security Services today to minimize the danger of cyber espionage.
