Companies are increasingly facing different types of cyber threats. A recent Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec[1] indicates that more than 430 million new unique pieces of malware were discovered in 2015, up by 26% from the year before. All trends indicate these figures will continue to grow exponentially in the coming decade. According to the findings of the Report, large businesses that experienced a cyber attack in 2015 witnessed an average of 3.6 successful attacks each year.[2]
It is likely that both small and large businesses face a great threat of cyber criminals in the coming years. For organisations to successfully analyse and mitigate cyber security threats, they first need to understand the threats that they face. And the threat really is across all industries – with the internet-connected things multiplying rapidly, also referred to more generally as the Internet-of-Things, we continue to see many proof of concept and real-world attacks in not just enterprise networks, but mobile devices, smart TVs, cars and medical devices. Our assessment is that without constant vigilance, no device is safe.
What is Cyber Security Threat Intelligence?
Cyber Threat Intelligence refers to the knowledge about the risks that an organisation faces from exploited software and the ingenuity of cyber criminals. Understanding how the latest malware and cyber threats challenge the corporate world is what cyber threat intelligence is all about.
Organisations need accurate and detailed information about the intentions of cyber criminals. More importantly, this information must be timely and accurate and is best sourced from a service provider that specialises in staying up to date with the latest information in the industry. In this manner, software vulnerabilities can be identified from the deep-web and translated back to your IT infrastructure team with a solution.
To get ahead of cyber threats, you need to remain equipped with the latest cyber threats in the industry. Here are three reasons why you should engage Gridware to provide cyber security intelligence for your business.
- To Detect Vulnerabilities Early
In 2015, researchers determined that the number of zero-day vulnerabilities more than doubled to 54, a 125 percent increase from the year before. These exploits are amongst the worst as they provide intruders with administrative access to your systems through vulnerable exploits in software, without the knowledge of the vendor. Adobe Flash Player remains the most commonly exploited software and has been the subject of malicious exploitation in 10 different versions in 2015 alone.[3]
One of the main reasons as to why your organisation requires constant cyber security intelligence is that the information is used to detect vulnerabilities early. Detecting an instance of unauthorised access early can help you to minimize the extent of the damage arising from the attack.
- To Understand The Threats That You Are Facing
You need accurate information about the threats that you face in order to analyse and protect against them. The research has determined the magnitude of how cyber threats continue to emerge and evolve. New techniques to gain unauthorised access are developed almost daily with enterprise systems topping the list as the most targeted by cyber attackers.
- To Be Prepared For Cyber Attacks
Every networked device is a potential target for cyber attacks – and a planned response is part of a strong defence. First you must understand the origin and implication of the various threats. Secondly, your organisation needs a detailed business continuity plan that includes a risk-assessment of the various systems in place within the business. The business continuity plan will also establish how you will be able to maintain operations if the operating environment is impaired by an attack.
When Sony’s enterprise servers were compromised, employees were instructed to revert to their personal Gmail and Outlook email’s to continue business for over 6 months. Such a solution is far from ideal. So it is worthy to think ahead about your fail-safes and how your organisation will respond to threats should they eventuate.
[1] https://www.symantec.com/content/dam/symantec/docs/reports/istr-21-2016-en.pdf?aid=elq_&om_sem_kw=elq_16972226&om_ext_cid=biz_email_elq_&elqTrackId=283a3acdb3ff42f4a70ab5a9f236eb71&elqaid=2902&elqat=2
[2] Ibid p 6.
[3] Ibid p 20.
