Defending your enterprise against a cyberattack today is harder than it has ever been before. These days, hackers operate with a huge degree of sophistication and covert skill. For all you know, your business could be under siege by hackers at this very moment - and you wouldn't know until it is too late. Thoughts like these are scary, but unfortunately, they are also the reality, and this holds true across the globe.
Around World, Data Loss Figures Mount
Data loss incidents are on a steep rise across the globe. According to one professional services firm, instances of global data loss have risen 25 percent between 2013 and 2014, a number that points to the increasingly stealthy tactics being leveraged by cybercriminals.
Enterprises represent one of the most lucrative targets in the eyes of hackers. After all, they typically contain sensitive patron data that, when maliciously acquired, can be used to steal customers' money. Yet despite companies being one of the prime targets of cybercriminals, they are often not doing enough to keep pace with the ever-evolving cybercriminal realm. That is a problem, because yesterday's security solutions do not hold up today.
For Businesses, Understanding Threats Is Key
The first step to handling a problem is knowing what you are dealing with. Therefore, for all companies out there, it is vital for them to understand the cybersecurity trends that will be playing out in 2015. To that end, cybersecurity analyst John Nugent put together a list of some key cybersecurity issues to focus on this year. Here are a few of them:
- More attacks on credit cards: It is perhaps no surprise that just like any other criminal, a hacker is in it for the money. What better thing to attack, therefore, than credit cards? Credit card data-based attacks surged in 2014, and according to cybersecurity experts, that trend is likely set to continue into 2015. However, this does not mean that your business has to be vulnerable. If you decide to implement solutions based on strengthening card security, then you can stave off an intrusion on that front.
- Broader attack spheres: Hackers are not naive. They know that every company out there is going to the greatest lengths to defend its main computer network. Therefore, an adept hacker is going to look for any way in that is more vulnerable. Think about it as them finding an open window while you are putting extra locks on the door.
"Longer supply chains offer more potential points of attack for someone wishing to access a company's network or disrupt its operations," stated Nugent. "As companies harden defenses closest to home, expect to see more attacks on and via their suppliers."
To deal with this issue, organizations need to make sure they have more far-reaching cybersecurity solutions in place, especially resources like mobile security.
Recognizing the threats out there is the first step to protecting against them.