USA today’s editorial board warned its readers about a new kind of cyber attack.  The headline stated that the next big cyber threat will not be ransomware. Instead, it will be Killware.  All senators and IT representatives are talking about killware.

What is Killware?

Killware is a program or code that deploys on machines with the sole intention of harming people. This harm does not correspond to financial or emotional harm, but instead, it has to do with physical harm. Like the name suggests, Killware is a malware that intends to take lives.  Unlike ransomware that gets into your system and locks it away from you until you give them money, killware is a virus run by psychopaths that have nothing to do with money.

Should you be Worried?

In general, killware will not impact consumer computers.  These include the laptops and devices that the public uses on a day-to-day basis. Instead, their main intention is to attack companies and agencies that control life depending activities.

For instance, the city or state networks control the traffic signals. Hackers can use their killware virus to attack this system and cause disruption in the traffic lights. This will potentially lead to accidents and may also result in road fatalities and injuries.

Another example would be a killware attack on flight control systems. This can lead to wrong instructions during a flight operation and lead to a deadly plane crash. Thus, these attacks on critical computer systems and servers can impact the lives of thousands of people, leaving them to face a traumatic incident.

Therefore, with killware, you should not be worried about your personal asset or business. Instead, big organizations and government agencies should be the ones to consider the impact of such malware. Fortunately, large organizations spend countless of money on the protection of their systems and firewalls.

The Cost of Human Errors

With killware present as another type of malware threat in 2021, the costs of human errors are now much higher. Most of the time, malware entering your system is due to human errors. Essential companies that are running critical servers now have to be extra careful with their passwords and human errors.

If you run a system that can potentially put the well-being of your workers at risk, then you should be more considerate about your passwords, security, and errors with the added threats of killware.  You need to make sure to install updated firewalls to your IT infrastructure, along with antivirus and anti-malware softwares.

Not only that, make sure that you stopping any services after using them. Do not close the services, but stop them from running on your network. These programs can include team viewer, any desk and others. These are the steps that large organizations should focus on to prevent any occurrence of killware leaching onto their system.

What Should You Do?

If the killware news has made you more alarmed about the vulnerabilities of your network, then you can strengthen it by first investing in an antivirus. An antivirus investment is well worth your money, and it will protect your digital assets and valuable data.

Have a malware protector running around the clock, scavenging your network for viruses, and alarming you overall potential threats. Furthermore, to avoid human errors, make sure that you do not use any common passwords that apply to all your accounts.

Make sure to clear your cache because most hackers tend to read your cache files before attacking the system. Therefore, you have to clean the cache as frequently as possible and schedule a routine laptop or device cleanup.

Lastly, make sure not to click on links that come with emails and text messages blindly.  Make sure that you thoroughly inspect and investigate the sender’s profile and address before you decide to trust their source.  Email inbox is the most common playing ground for hackers. Hence, be careful of all emails that fly into your inbox unexpectedly.

Resort to Innovative Protection

Prescient, allows businesses to incorporate smart IT solutions for security. These security measures are cloud-based, allowing you to add data breach protection to your system cost-effectively and efficiently. If you wish to find out more, visit the website, or contact them by filling out the online form for consultancy.