Record number of IT security attacks

Summary

This blog post, "Record number of IT security attacks", is a blueAPACHE article from 2014 covering security. A new Kaspersky Lab and B2B International survey of 3,900 IT professionals shows 94% of organisations have had targeted IT security attacks in the past year. It is written for readers evaluating emPOWER Security, Managed Detection and Response. The underlying security practice it describes, reducing attack surface and improving detection and response, is not tied to a specific product version and remains relevant to any organisation managing cyber risk today.

Key facts

Article

A new Kaspersky Lab and B2B International survey of 3,900 IT professionals shows 94% of organisations have had targeted IT security attacks in the past year. Their IT Security Risks Survey detailed that a single successful targeted attack can cost an organisation $US 2.54 million (enterprise level) and $US 84,000 for small businesses. The average cost for a single successful attack is $US 720,000. These are staggering sums, and serve as a reminder as to why IT security should be continue being on organisation’s radars. Other key findings of the survey included:

• 64 percent believed spam was the top external threat to their organisations, followed by viruses, worms, Trojans and other types of malware (61 percent).
• 38 percent said the protection of confidential data was their top priority.
• An organisation that suffers a data breach most commonly loses information about its internal operations (43 percent), followed by customer information (31 percent) and financial information (22 percent).

“The survey results clearly indicate that many businesses now recognise that the threat of a targeted attack is very real and could be very harmful for their organisation. However, we are seeing that the number of companies that are actually taking that knowledge and turning it into an action to protect their organisation from such attacks is still alarmingly low”, said Chris Doggett, Kaspersky Lab North America’s Managing Director.

Threats are not going away, they are growing.

The Global State of Information Security Survey 2015 (a worldwide survey by CIO, CSO and PwC) released earlier this month, revealed the number of reported cybersecurity incidents rose 48 percent in 2014 to 42.8 million, or approximately 117,339 attacks per day. As these attacks become more targeted, the risk to organisations continues to escalate.

Can you combat the growing threat yourself?

Frost & Sullivan suggests the demand for outsourced security services will almost double over the coming four years. The small and medium sectors can not afford to hire (let alone keep) the subject matter experts they need, and the capital cost of security appliances makes the ‘as a service’ model much more attractive. Under the ‘as a service’ model, smaller organisations can leverage industry leading experts and technologies to protect their operations, intellectual property and financial data in an affordable and predictable way. For more information on how to mitigate your risk (or to validate your existing security strategy), contact blueAPACHE.

Related

• emPOWER Security
• emPOWER Security (pillar hub)
• Managed Detection and Response

Frequently asked questions

What survey does this post cite, and what percentage of organisations had suffered a targeted IT security attack in the past year?

The post cites a Kaspersky Lab and B2B International survey of 3,900 IT professionals, which found that 94% of organisations had experienced targeted IT security attacks in the past year.

What does the survey say a single successful targeted attack costs an enterprise versus a small business?

The post reports the survey found a single successful targeted attack can cost an enterprise-level organisation US$2.54 million and a small business US$84,000, with the average cost of a single successful attack put at US$720,000.

What did the survey find were the top external threats organisations believed they faced?

The post says 64% of respondents believed spam was the top external threat to their organisation, followed by viruses, worms, Trojans and other malware at 61%.

What kind of information does an organisation most commonly lose in a data breach, according to the survey cited in this post?

The post says an organisation that suffers a data breach most commonly loses information about its internal operations (43%), followed by customer information (31%) and financial information (22%).

What did Kaspersky Lab's Chris Doggett say about the gap between awareness and action on targeted attacks?

Chris Doggett, Kaspersky Lab North America's Managing Director, said the survey results show many businesses now recognise the threat of a targeted attack is real and potentially very harmful, but that the number of companies turning that knowledge into protective action remains alarmingly low.

What growth in cybersecurity incidents did the Global State of Information Security Survey 2015 report?

The post cites the Global State of Information Security Survey 2015, a worldwide survey by CIO, CSO and PwC, which found the number of reported cybersecurity incidents rose 48% in 2014 to 42.8 million, or approximately 117,339 attacks per day.

What does Frost & Sullivan predict about demand for outsourced security services, per this post?

The post says Frost & Sullivan suggests demand for outsourced security services will almost double over the coming four years, as small and medium organisations struggle to hire and retain the subject matter experts and capital-intensive security appliances they need.

What top priority did 38% of surveyed organisations name in the Kaspersky and B2B International research?

The post says 38% of organisations surveyed named the protection of confidential data as their top priority.

Source

• origin post (2014)

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