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If you’ve been paying attention to the news for the past six months or so, you would know that hackers have a spotlight on them like never before. They are being talked about by everyone from government officials, to reporters, to even your friends, family and coworkers. But before you start labeling yourself a hacking expert just because you have Mr. Robot on “season pass”, you need to understand where they are, why they do it, and most importantly… how to protect yourself from network threats.

2017 looks to be a year where more importance is placed on information security for businesses than ever before. Viruses and data breaches will continue to present themselves as threats, leading to downtime, data loss, and rising expenses, but they won’t be the only ones. Here are 10 information security threats that will challenge IT data management and how they can be addressed:

Combating network threats and keeping important, sensitive data secure is one of our most important tasks in the modern business environment. Below we talk about a few additional ideas you can use to combat network threats and keep your sensitive company and customer data safe from prying, unauthorized eyes.

Cryptolocker viruses, known for hijacking user data via encryption and demanding ransom money in exchange for the key to unlock it, can happen to anyone. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting smaller organizations and even personal users as their data is less secured and therefore, more easy to infiltrate.

Malware or malicious software, is a software that disrupts the normal operations of your system by attacking or damaging it. Malware (also known as badware) affects your computer by accessing your private files while prohibiting access to your computer. Rightfully named, what sets malware apart is it’s malicious intent. What started off as a prank has evolved due to the growth of internet crime groups and the money made from these heinous crimes.

Smarter technology means smarter criminals. With technology adding more conveniences for cybercriminals, ransomware, a type of cyrptoware that demands a ransom be paid before releasing the victim’s documents, is making a scary comeback. Thanks to a new “ransomware-as-a-service” tool recently discovered by McAfee, cybercriminals who lack the know-how to successfully hack victims can now achieve their goals with easy-to-deploy kits.

Data breaches and network security failures affect hundreds of businesses each year, and along with reputational concerns, the financial repercussions can be damaging.

Our computers hold our lives. We store everything on them, from our family pictures to important client files. Computers are becoming more and more susceptible to malware as it becomes evolved and improved by hackers. A form of malware that has been on the rise, is ransomware. Ransomware holds your computer “hostage” until you pay the “ransom” through bitcoin or another payment method. It can even take the form of something from the FBI or government, which tricks people into thinking it’s real. If you are a victim of ransomware here is how to get rid of ransomware the right way.