Network security generally refers to the sum total of procedures, processes, and controls used to protect the data and other resources on your digital network. This includes software apps, specific hardware devices (think locks and dongles), and the protocols your people follow to protect your network. 

Enterprise network security refers to the kinds of security solutions, procedures, and infrastructure suitable for your type of business. If you bring something in to deal with specific or general enterprise security threats, it becomes part of your enterprise network security. 

Just hope it works well with your existing systems instead of opening up new, unexpected vulnerabilities. That's why it’s often best to bring in security solutions that have been designed to work together smoothly, rather than piecing your own system together from off-the-shelf components and apps and spending more than you saved trying to get these disparate elements to even talk to each other.

The list of enterprise network security threats is always changing, and always will be. There’s no one solid answer to "What are the most common types of attacks that threaten enterprise data security?" At the time of this writing, the top five threats to network security for most types of businesses include:

DDoS attacks

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated, now typically using multi-vector attacks via botnets and incorporating surprisingly effective anti-mitigation strategies. 

Ransomware

This is where a bad actor encrypts either a networked storage asset or system endpoints, demanding money to make it usable again. These have never gone away. 

Not so fun fact: Attackers now take just 17 hours on average to deploy ransomware, completing about 18 actions beforehand. While timing varies, serious damage can occur fast.

—Huntress Managed ITDR Report, 2025

Malware

Another oldie-but-baddie: Malicious software designed to infiltrate a network and harm it is as old as computer networks themselves. Spyware, worms, Trojans, and viruses still pose a huge threat to enterprises. 

Phishing attempts

More social engineering than hacking, but it costs companies billions every year. 

Zero-day exploits

All too often, cybercriminals find out about the vulnerabilities of your new hardware or software before the developers do. That means early adopters are sometimes running brand-new systems full of vulnerabilities open to exploitation. 

Other still-common enterprise network security threats include:

• Network protocol attacks

• API exploits

• Brute-force and other password attacks

• Cryptojacking (using your computing power to mine cryptocurrency for the attacker)

• XSS (cross-site scripting) code-insertion

• SQL injection

• Misuse by authorized users

• Man-in-the-middle attacks

All of the above threats, and ones that haven't even been invented yet, fall within four broad categories. These are based on the attacker's intent:

1. Exploitation of a perceived weakness

This category includes social engineering, some kinds of malware, and most types of unauthorized access.

2. Disrupting integrity

Here, they place various attempts to “mess with” your data, with ransomware being the most common example.

3. Stealing data

The OG hacking attacks. These use malware, social engineering, or physical penetration to access your data.

4. Disrupting availability

These attacks seek to prevent authorized users from accessing your systems or data. They include DDoS attacks and physical sabotage on infrastructure.

So, how do you stop it? 

• Micro‑segmentation: Limiting traffic on a very granular scale to reduce your attack surface.

• Encrypted DNS: Encrypting unprotected DNS queries.

• Continuous network monitoring: Knowing and protecting your attack surface even as it changes from day to day.

• Device quarantine: Preventing a compromised device from infecting or communicating with the rest of the network.

• Continuous endpoint monitoring: Constant oversight of devices that connect to and disconnect from your networks.

Huntress managed EDR works with SIEM and ITDR to detect pivots and anomalous traffic, keeping you safe from known and emerging enterprise network security threats. Book a demo today to see what we can do to protect your business.