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Clo Willaerts
Clo Willaerts

Program Manager in Postgraduate Digital Business at Karel de Grote University College, Antwerp

In this video from our 'Business Boost' series, Clo talks about the increase in the number of cyber attacks since the start of the pandemic. 

 

 

Only available in Dutch

What is a cyber attack? 

A cyber attack is a deliberate attempt to misuse, steal or gain unauthorised access to vulnerable systems, devices or networks. The main reasons for doing so are financial gain and the acquisition of valuable information. Although cyber attacks have been on the rise since the outbreak of the pandemic, they are as old as the Internet itself. 

Types of cyber attack 

 Social engineering attacks involve criminals taking advantage of the gullibility of people. 
The most well known form of social engineering is phishing. Phishing usually starts with an email in which the sender poses as the recipient's bank and tries to convince the recipient to give them their login details and password. There is also something known as spear phishing, where an email appears to be addressed specifically to you. In the case of vishing (voice phishing), cyber attackers call people on the phone or leave voice messages that seek to confuse the person on the other end and trick them into revealing sensitive information. 
 
This is why banks warn customers to always closely check the email address of the sender and the Internet address at the top of the email. Is it actually the bank's URL? Is the connection secure? 

Malware attacks are the most popular type of attack among cyber criminals. They create malware – malicious software – to gain access to sensitive devices, data or the victim's networks (often a business). The aim of these attacks is for criminals to lay their hands on personal information and steal data. One specific form of malware is ransomware. Cyber criminals develop malicious software that blocks access to certain files. The criminals then demand a ransom in order to make the affected files available again. It is very difficult to find out who is behind the attack. 

 Attacks on web applications involve criminals taking advantage of vulnerabilities in applications in order to gain access to databases that contain sensitive information. This is why it is so important to have a secure connection with any web page you wish to access. 
 

How can you protect your business against cyber attacks? 

You naturally want to protect anything of value at your company as effectively as possible. This applies to your website, your eCommerce transactions and your bank account. KBC sees security as a top priority both for its private customers and business clients. Thanks to advanced security systems, you can count on the secure transfer of payment information with us. 

 

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