One of the biggest challenges facing today’s businesses is keeping confidential information safe from an increasing multitude of threats. The rapid growth of connected technologies has made it extremely hard for businesses to keep apace of the developments.
Here are five of the most important cybersecurity revelations from last year:
#1. 230,000 new malware samples were created every day
Many people instantly associate malicious software with computer viruses. Some assume that only computers can be compromised by malware. The truth is that any device connected to the internet, regardless of which operating system and other software it’s running, is at risk. Moreover, there are more different types of malware created every day. From malicious macros designed to exploit Microsoft Office, to ransomware payloads, the threats are only growing more diverse.
The abundance and variety of malware have made it hard for traditional antivirus solutions to keep up, hence the need for multiple layers of security.
#2. 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses
It’s easy to think that a small business isn’t a sufficiently attractive enough target for hackers who would probably want to go after the big enterprises. But the headlines don’t give the right impression — small businesses are a favorite target. Most cybercriminals are opportunists who deliberately go for the easy money. And, since smaller businesses are less likely to have good protection yet still hold a lot of valuable data, they’re always in a hacker’s line of sight.
Small businesses need the same level of cybersecurity as big enterprises do. But since they don’t have nearly the same level of funding, they often outsource the job instead.
#3. There were more than six million cryptojacking attacks
2018 was the year of ransomware, but 2019 saw the rise of a lower-risk and more lucrative form of cyberattack. Cryptojacking malware is designed to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin using computing resources belonging to someone else. Given that a single cryptocurrency is worth thousands of dollars, it’s easy to see why this sort of malware has become so popular.
Although cryptojacking malware might not sound that severe, it can consume bandwidth and ramp up energy bills. Sometimes, it’s used to divert attention from a more serious attack.
#4. Successful attacks cost more than $300 per employee
The average successful cyberattack costs around $5 million, which, when broken down to the size of a company, comes to around $300 per employee. But the true cost depends on many factors, such as the nature of the data compromised and the industry. One thing’s for certain in every case, though: the cost of cyberattacks increases as businesses grow more dependent on their technology.
More than ever, information security should become an integral part of any technology strategy and not something that’s simply tacked on later.
#5. 76% of businesses have been targeted by phishing attacks
Most people still think of information security as protecting against malicious software. But the majority of attacks don’t exploit technology as much as they do people. Malware itself usually ends up on a computer after an unwitting victim is duped into downloading it. Login credentials are also commonly exploited by social engineering scammers who set up malicious websites that look exactly like those belonging to legitimate businesses. The list goes on.
Phishing scams are by far the biggest threat of all, and technology alone isn’t the solution. All businesses need to do is train their employees to recognize the threats and tactics that scammers use.
Healthy IT helps healthcare providers in New York secure their assets with dependable IT solutions and robust support. Call us today to learn more.