Cyber security is still the number one threat to UK businesses, and there’s a sneaky way hackers are finding their way in – malware.
This malicious type of software is specifically created to infiltrate computer networks and cause as much damage and disruption as possible. It’s particularly rife in cloud-based systems, where you use software through your browser, rather than having to download it.
The really scary thing is that malware can go unnoticed for months. Gone are the days when a virus was obvious and caused computer screens to flash, wobble and fill with pop ups. Today’s threats are far more insidious, sneaking in under the radar and causing untold damage that nobody knows about until it’s too late.
Once this software infiltrates your system, trying to contain and destroy it is impossible on your own. And without strong protocols, a proactive approach and the right support in place, the threat gets closer every day.
Although the threat of cyber-attacks has reached record levels, a staggeringly low number of cloud providers are offering full protection.
This leaves countless UK businesses as sitting ducks, vulnerable to attack at any time despite investing in what they thought was a secure new system.
A recent report from Bitglass found an average of one in three SaaS (Software as a Service) apps contained malware. SaaS is just another term for cloud computing. This wasn’t from a small pool either – researchers scanned tens of millions of files before coming to this frightening conclusion.
Even more alarmingly, big name software including Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive was rife with viruses. OneDrive showed a 55% infection rate with Google Drive at 43%. Dropbox and Box weren’t much better, coming in at 33% each.
But that doesn’t mean you should send your business back to the 20th century.
It’s possible to enjoy all the benefits of cloud computing without being damaged by malware. You just need to know how.
Our brand-new guide tells you all about malware in the cloud and what you can do to stay safe.
