Understanding How Advanced Malware Can Harm Your Business

There are a lot of different threats out there: Viruses, malware, spyware, adware, the list goes on. While all of these threats are certainly problematic, some are more dangerous than others. In particular, advanced malware can be exceptionally devastating if they manage to inflict damage on your technology.

However, what makes advanced malware so much different from the garden variety? Processor magazine explores how small business and larger enterprises can protect themselves from these advanced threats. As defined by Robert Clyde, international vice president of ISACA, “The nature of advanced malware is that it’s targeted, it’s stealthy, it’s evasive, and it’s adaptive.” These traits combined make for an incredibly sly malware that’s difficult to detect and even harder to prevent.

Unlike ordinary malware, which is generally meant to disrupt whatever it affects and start all sorts of generic chaos, advanced malware usually has a specific goal to accomplish, and is aimed at specific targets. It’s more likely that these advanced threats are after specific information and are specifically designed to complete this task in the most effective way possible. These types of threats can also be considered “Advanced Persistent Threats,” a term used to describe malware which accomplishes its goal over an extended period of time rather than upon execution.

These types of threats are often complex and require a different approach than the standard malware. In fact, some infections can get worse if they’re detected, and they can hop from system to system in order to avoid detection. This makes locating and eliminating the threat difficult at best.

When such a threat knocks at your company’s door, the best way to handle it is with a four-front assault called our Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. With a powerful firewall at your disposal, your business has a dedicated bouncer to analyze data moving to and from your network. This prevents malicious entities from infiltrating (or leaving) your system when you’re on the hunt for them.

The next phase is when the enterprise-level antivirus solution kicks in. This eliminates threats that are detected on the network. If you suspect that there is a malicious entity lurking on your network, we can locate it with our remote monitoring service and eliminate it before it causes any noticeable damage. We also offer companies a free IT network assessment to locate threats and confirm your suspicions.

There are other preventative methods for keeping advanced malware from getting into your network. An advanced persistent threat might take the form of a spear-phishing tactic, where a hacker will target you specifically for your login credentials or sensitive information. Another preventative way is the spam blocking solution which is part of XFER’s UTM. This keeps spam from even reaching your inbox, making spear-phishing attempts obsolete.

Finally, our web-blocking solution keeps your employees from navigating to insecure or otherwise threatening websites. A skilled hacker might try to gather information using a fake website, or by hiding attachments within permalinks. Our web-blocking solution has the power to keep your business secure while online.

If you’re concerned with how to protect your business’s data from both the garden-variety and advanced malware threats, give XFER a call at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER. We’ll help your business find the best solution to your security woes.