During the first half of 2019, approximately 3,800 data breaches occurred, representing a 54% increase over 2018. Media reports on the most high-profile breaches have instilled a general impression among consumers that is consistent with the facts: in the public’s view, businesses are responsible for the scope and magnitude of data breaches.
While the increase in cyberattacks during 2019 creates a noxious brew for companies that don’t take the essential precautions, there’s an additional ingredient to consider. Awareness and concern among consumers translate into buying habits. In Minnesota as well as across the U.S., 83% of consumers state they will stop spending money with any business after they learn it has suffered a data breach.
Hackers aren’t going for a challenge
What we see portrayed in popular Hollywood hacker movies is far from reality. Hackers don’t look like Keanu Reeves, they’re not amateur-boxers and motorcycle stunt-riders, they’re organized groups of criminals. Most importantly:
Hackers don’t target the most difficult systems to earn fame and glory among their peers. They are opportunists. Like hyenas, they go after the relatively weakest, most vulnerable among the businesses they come across. So, while it’s good news for consumers that nearly 90% of businesses have improved their security posture in the past year, those businesses that don’t keep pace are far more likely to be targeted.
The weapons of cybercrime are increasingly sophisticated
In a development that seems to be pulled directly from the movies, new technology records keystrokes, enables a criminal to decipher words, passcodes and phrases based solely on the sounds of the keystrokes.
So, imagine this suddenly now very realistic scenario:
A hacker calls one of your sales or service agents with a question about a fictitious account. He records your agent entering her credentials and password into the system to retrieve the account and now the criminal has a way into your system based almost entirely on sounds.
This approach has also been tested on smartphones where access to the phone’s numerous sensors can provide even more information to someone intent on with designs on penetrating your network. Companies with personal device use or company-owned mobile devices need to implement protective policies and security measures to ensure their devices aren’t the conduit for this new trend.
Simple risk management is still highly effective
Despite the continued growth in varieties of threats, most breaches are realized through the weakest link in the security chain in the form of phishing emails and social engineering emails.
Managing risks in-house
Half of companies interviewed in a recent survey report their IT team is overworked. Nearly as many companies are grappling with a shortage of security professionals, even those that have IT staff. Considering the constant uptick and exponential varieties of threats, this is not surprising.
Managing your risks with GUARDIAN
Our GUARDIAN managed security is designed specifically for small- and medium-sized businesses that are increasingly targeted by cybercrime. GUARDIAN provides a team of security professionals and an enterprise-level suite of solutions at an affordable cost for small businesses. With a 24×7 Security Operations Center (SOC), monitoring and intrusion detection, our professionals prevent and respond to threats in real-time.
The GUARDIAN suite features include:
- Routine planning and assessments
- Security management, policies, and governance
- Employee training and continuous threat monitoring
- Security incident response
It’s a comprehensive package that levels the playing field for main street businesses who would otherwise find it challenging to build a comparable defense in-house.
As the threats get increasingly complex, the solution is increasingly simple. Contact Deerwood Technologies online or call us (218) 534-5357. Let us focus on your security so you can get back to focusing on your business.