Regardless of business size or industry sector, statistics show that the chance of an organisation falling victim to a cyber-attack is growing. Threats are more pervasive and sophisticated than ever.
According to a recent survey, nearly two thirds of companies recognise that cyber risk is increasing year-on-year. Despite this, many are ill-prepared to effectively mitigate the threat. In this latest blog, we examine the reasons that the likelihood of your organisation suffering a cyber-attack is increasing and outline what can be done to allay the risk.
1. Cybercriminals are ubiquitous
From financially motivated ransomware campaigns, to political hacktivism and denial of service attacks designed to inflict operational disruption, organisations need to be prepared to tackle a wide spectrum of attacks, each with contrasting objectives and methods of exploitation.
Cybercriminals range from determined, well-funded and organised hacking gangs, to ‘script kiddies’ (unskilled individuals using off the shelf tools and knowledge circulated on the web) and malicious insiders.
With attackers assuming so many guises, and constantly changing their tactics, it can be a serious challenge to protect your organisation from the myriad of threats it faces.
2. Digitisation is widening the surface of attack
The more states, organisations and individuals become dependent on digital infrastructure to perform day-to-day operations, the greater the incentive and perceived reward for individuals to target and exploit the very systems we rely on.
As more products and services are connected to the Internet, and businesses become more interconnected through the supply chain, the need to proactively address cybersecurity and privacy risks increases.
Growth in cloud computing, IoT technologies and BYOD is vastly expanding the range of attack vectors for exploitation. With an estimated 3.5 networked devices and connections per person by 2021, entry points into a network are only set to increase further.
3. Big Data means that more assets are at risk
With the rapid adoption of digital technologies, many organisations are collecting and storing increasing volumes of data. By providing enhanced insight into business operations and customer behaviour, Big Data is viewed as an increasingly valuable asset for cybercriminals.
To demonstrate this point, Equifax, one of the world’s major consumer credit reporting agencies, was, last year, the victim of a high-scale attack which led to the loss of highly confidential personal and financial data relating to over 145 million consumers. Individuals affected included people not directly signed up to any of the company’s services.
Big Data now calls for Big Security.
4. Preventative security can no longer be relied upon
The evolving nature of cyber threats means that traditional preventative security solutions such as firewalls and antivirus software are no longer effective at thwarting the latest malicious actors. Traditional security systems are only useful at detecting threats with known file signatures and are therefore ineffective at identifying the latest polymorphic and encrypted code types used by hackers.
To minimise cyber security risk, your organisation now requires a means of monitoring and quickly responding to threats that breach the network perimeter.
5. There is a worldwide shortage of qualified security personnel
A mature level of cyber security can only be achieved with qualified experts that know how criminals operate and utilise this intelligence to better monitor and respond to threats.
With a reported 1.8 million shortfall of cyber security workers by 2022, organisations hoping to recruit the talent needed to help manage their organisation’s assets may find their efforts frustrated and increasingly costly, as competition for the best candidates intensifies. Without the dedicated personnel to stay abreast of the latest threats, however, organisations may find that they are left exposed.
Responding to attacks in an ever-evolving threat landscape
Successful mitigation of the latest threats now requires cyber security to be of utmost consideration across all business operations. Indeed, it is organisations that possess an in-depth understanding of the latest threats, regularly assess their security posture, as well as utilise the latest behavioural analytics and real-time threat intelligence, that are best placed to tackle evolving security challenges and successfully reduce their cyber security risk.
How Redscan can help?
As a specialist provider of managed cyber security services, Redscan is experienced at helping organisations of all sizes to introduce the controls needed to tackle the latest security risks and reduce the pressure on in-house teams to keep up to date with the latest attack vectors and technology trends.
By adopting the mindset of the adversary and utilising the latest tools and intelligence, our experts adopt an ‘offensive’ approach to cyber defence, offering the actionable intelligence needed to respond swiftly and effectively.
Our range of award-winning and cost-effective services includes Penetration Testing, Red Team Operations, Managed Detection & Response and GDPR consultancy.
Discover our full range of cyber security services
Read more:
Key reasons to outsource your cyber security in 2018
10 ways to strengthen your organisation’s cyber security in 2018
The importance of proactive breach detection