5 Computer Security Threats to Be Aware of in 2021

Hackers are relentlessly inventive, and are always trying to exploit computer vulnerabilities. While the objectives of these hackers may vary, they pose a serious security threat to you and your business or organization. Strengthening your cybersecurity involves being proactive and staying one step ahead of the attackers. This can only happen if you are aware of the vulnerabilities that might put your network at risk. This article discusses top computer threats you should be wary of this year.

1.    Operating system vulnerabilities

OS-based vulnerabilities are the vulnerabilities found in an operating system that attackers can exploit to gain access to your network. Common OS-based vulnerabilities include spoofing, information exposure to unauthorized users, the elevation of privilege, denial of service (DoS), and remorse code execution. One effective way of patching operating system vulnerabilities is to ensure your OS is always up to date. Learn how to upgrade Mac operating system and keep these vulnerabilities sealed.

2.    Unknown security bugs in software interfaces

Computer software can be extremely complex, especially when two or more programs are made to interface with each other. The problem with this is that within one program, there may be programming conflicts and issues that create security vulnerabilities. These security vulnerabilities can only increase when two programs are interfaced.

Unanticipated code interactions and programming bugs are among the most common computer vulnerabilities, and cybercriminals are always trying to find and exploit them. The bad news is that it’s almost impossible to predict the creation of these vulnerabilities. The only thing you can do is to keep your software up to date and hope the software developer will patch a vulnerability as soon as it’s discovered.

3.    Unencrypted data on a network

Although unencrypted data on a network may not cause a cyber attack to occur, it makes it easier for hackers to steal information. Having unencrypted data on your network is a severe risk to your business or organization. Encrypting the data on your data prevents attackers from using it in case they manage to steal it – it becomes unintelligible until it is decoded.

4.    Running a script automatically without malware checks

Certain browsers such as Safari tend to automatically run scripts, and attackers have learned how to exploit them. They develop malware that mimics a trusted piece of code, which tricks the browser to run the ‘safe’ script without you knowing. To be safe, ensure you disable the automatic running of ‘safe’ files and avoid visiting untrustworthy sites.

5.    Superuser privileges

User account privileges are another security threat that people and organizations tend to ignore. Allowing everybody to have admin-level access puts your entire data at risk if one person is compromised. The less resources or information a user can access, the less damage they can cause if they are compromised.

Endnote

These are just a few of the various computer security threats that you or your business are exposed to at any given time. Knowing them is the first step towards neutralizing them and protecting yourself from a cyber attack.