One of the many advantages that the internet has brought us is the ability to work from anywhere at any time. Many people have even started online businesses that they can run from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection.

This has brought about the "digital nomad" lifestyle where people often travel the world while making money at the same time. It's far from your traditional 9-5 office job, and many people are interested in moving towards opening their own online business, especially after the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, one of the most important elements to consider when it comes to running an online is the rise of cybercrime. In our modern society, it's so important to ensure that your business is safe from cyberattacks. If you're looking for the best cybersecurity tools for businesses, make sure to keep reading!

The Risks Your Business Could Face

The internet age has brought a lot of positives with it including the ability to instantly communicate with someone anywhere else in the world, entertainment at the touch of a button, and the ability to work remotely. However, there is also one bad apple that came with the rise of the internet - cybercrime.

The world has seen a massive spike in cybercrime in recent years. This is especially true because of the global lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which has forced many people to work from home or start online businesses. The increase in screen time has caused more people to fall victim to cyberattacks, and the success rate of cybercrime has increased dramatically since 2020.

You could fall victim to many different forms of cybercrime. The most common type of cybercrime that hackers can target you with is phishing scams. Phishing may have been around for many years, but it still claims thousands of victims in today's society.

In its most basic form, phishing is when the hacker sends a fraudulent email to the victim urging them to interact with a link or attachment in the email. Once the victim interacts with a link, they can be taken to a fake website that requires them to enter some details (either personal information, login credentials, or even banking information). However, the website will be rigged with a keylogger, which will copy everything that the victim types into the website and give it straight to the cybercriminal - allowing them to steal your information, login credentials, or bank account information.

Interacting with the link could also prompt malicious software to be installed on your device, and the same goes for interacting with the attachment in an email. Malware) short for malicious software) can cause a lot of damage, but we'll look at the most dangerous form of malware you could encounter in the next section.

Going back to phishing - cybercriminals have made their phishing scams much more effective by using social engineering. Social engineering is when a cybercriminal poses as a person or a company that you might know and trust, and you're likely to have come across this technique before. Cybercriminals can pretend to be your bank or even something as innocent as Netflix to try and trick you into falling for their schemes. Cybercriminals will use the same colors and logos that the companies use, which could fool anyone who doesn't keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Phishing scams have now spilled over into other platforms as well. Gone are the days when cybercriminals were limited to just using emails. Hackers can now use phishing scams on social media through direct messages or even simply on the internet. Remember, fraudulent links can be hidden as images and icons on the internet too.

The Most Dangerous Form of Malware

When it comes to malware there are many different types that you could run into. All of these are designed with a different purpose in mind, but they're all dangerous to your online business. While many are focused on the better-known forms of malware such as viruses, the most dangerous type that you could discover on your device is not talked about enough.

The malware in question here is ransomware. Ransomware is by far the most dangerous form of malware to find on your device, and it can cost you a pretty penny if you don't protect yourself from it. This malware alone should be enough to motivate you to invest in premium cybersecurity tools for your online business.

Ransomware will encrypt your important files and accounts once it's been installed on your device. Encrypted files cannot be opened, copied, or even moved unless you have the password to unlock them. The only way to get the password is to pay the ransom fee to the cybercriminal - this can often be thousands of dollars. Here's the catch though, even if you pay the ransom fee, there's nothing that ensures that the cybercriminals will give you the access key to unlock your files, meaning you would have paid them thousands of dollars for nothing at all.

How to Stay Protected From Cybercrime

If you want to ensure that your online business is as secure as possible there are a few cybersecurity measures you need to have in place. If your business has any employees you also need to ensure that they take the same security measures as any breach within your network can cause damage.

The first cybersecurity tool you need is premium antivirus software. Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses or malware. If any viruses or malware has been detected on your device, the antivirus software will remove them.

You should also consider using a premium VPN. By using a premium VPN you will be able to mask what you are doing on your device as well as your physical location. However, more importantly, some VPNs are capable of scanning emails and links for potential phishing scams. This is a helpful feature to have, so it's always a good idea to do thorough research on which VPN you should use for your online business.

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