If your business has never been the victim of hacking then consider yourself lucky.
Every 39 seconds a hacker tries to attack a computer system. Of those, 43% are against small businesses. Cybercrime costs SMEs more than $2.2 million per year.
If your company has been hacked then you know how devastating the consequences are. From stolen customer data to corrupted software, cyber threats can bring a company to its knees.
So how can your business prevent a security breach?
This article examines one of the ways a hacker can infiltrate your network. Brute forcing can bring brutal consequences if not properly defended against. It’s not subtle but extremely effective.
We’ll explain what a brute force attack is and how your business can stop a hacker in their tracks. Read on and start defending yourself.
What Is Brute Force Hacking?
A brute force login attack aims to gain access to your users’ accounts.
The name comes from the technique involved. The hacker sends thousands of username and password combinations per second, hoping that one will match.
How Does Brute Forcing Work?
Automated tools enable brute forcing with a simple click of a button. The software uses two methods:
- Letter/number/symbol combinations
- Word dictionaries
If the hacker knows the username and the length of the password, they use multiple keyboard combinations to guess it. The software treats it like a game of sorts, trying systematic and random attempts until the password’s found.
The word dictionary method uses a list of words as password attempts. It also contains the most used passwords. The classic is of course password so PLEASE don’t use it for your account.
How Do I Stop Brute Force Attacks?
The first way is to implement a lockout policy.
This means a user has three attempts to enter their password. After that, they’re locked out of trying again for a period of time.
But be careful. A malicious hacker can use this against you by locking out all your users in a denial of service attack.
Progressive delays use the lockout policy but increase the login timeout with each failed attempt. This makes automated block force hacks impractical.
Long and random passwords should always be used. Make sure they’re 8+ characters and don’t include real words.
For your website, try to use Google’s reCaptcha on your forms.
This tool checks known hacker and automated robot IP addresses. It also verifies you are human before submitting the login or contact form.
Stop the Brutes in Their Tracks
Brute forcing is only one weapon in a hacker’s arsenal.
DDoS, phishing, SQL injection, cross-site scripting – how many are you susceptible to? How does your business keep safe online when a hacker strikes?
The first step to secure your business is to conduct a Cyber Security Audit.
Pegasus Technologies will examine your existing security system and outline its weaknesses. We will work with you to create the best solution against cyber attacks and hardware failures. We’ll also design a continuity plan for disaster recovery if the worst should happen.
Contact us today to talk to our IT experts. Our managed web security tools have kept businesses like yours safe for 15 years.
Partner with us and stop the hacking brutes in their tracks.
Pegasus Technologies is the IT Team for organizations that don’t need a full-time IT department. Our technology experts build you a technology plan to keep your business running at its best. We have offices in Kennett Square, PA, Media, PA, and Wayne, PA to provide better computer support and IT services to you.
