Recent months have seen a dramatic reshaping of the cyber security threat landscape, according to the “Global Threat Landscape Report—2017,” by Bitdefender.
As 2017 draws to an end, the Bitdefender threat analysis unit is already looking into the upcoming malware developments that will likely emerge in the year to come. Bitdefender experts predict an increase of zero-day exploits leaked from security agencies the world over, and massive changes to the way ransomware operates.
The past few months have spurred a dramatic reshaping of the threat landscape. Traditional threats such as generic Trojans, ransomware and spam bots have been massively complemented by data destructors. Powered by military-grade code allegedly leaked from the NSA, both WannaCry and GoldenEye wrought havoc throughout Q2 and Q3, shutting down businesses and causing unprecedented operating losses.
What were the biggest cyber security culprits in the first half of 2017 from a data breach standpoint? Identity theft and poor internal security practices, according to the latest Breach Level Index (BLI) Report by Gemalto.
In observance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Bitdefender offers a series of articles on hot topics such as best practices in online safety and protecting your company’s assets and integrity. We also suggest prerequisites to consider before seeking a career in cybersecurity. We encourage you to bookmark this blog or connect with Bitdefender on LinkedIn or Twitter to receive follow-on articles (filled with security tips) as they are published.
Two of the more notable trends in IT today also happen to be inter-related: the rapid growth of cloud computing services and the rising need for more effective cyber security solutions.
Among the riskier activities enterprises can undertake are merging with or acquiring other businesses—and not just for the financial considerations involved. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) present a number of cyber security risks that might not even be on the radar screen when merger discussions first begin.
Anyone who works in the cyber security field probably knows how difficult it is for companies to fill security-related job openings. But the shortage has been made all the more worrisome, given the growing severity and frequency of attacks. And according to recent research, the shortage is getting worse.
The findings of a new ISACA research report on the state of cyber security are quite sobering: a huge majority of the organizations the group surveyed for its study expect to be hit with a cyber attack this year, but many of them remain unprepared to defend against such attacks.
The latest data breach report from Verizon is out, and if you’re looking for good news about the cyber security landscape you might be disappointed.
Update 5/13/3017: Yesterday evening the WannaCryptor (WannaCry) ransomware family infected thousands of computers across the world. In just 24 hours, the number of infections has spiked to 185,000 machines in more than 100 countries. Analysis of the Bitcoin wallets hardcoded into the samples show that the group behind WannaCryptor managed to extort roughly $US 25,000 worth of Bitcoin.
A new family of ransomware called WannaCryptor has started targeting businesses in more than 70 countries around the world. Hospitals, telelcom companies or gas and utilities plants are just some of the verticals that suffered massive disruptions caused by data being held at ransom.
Few industries impact as many people and businesses around the world as the power and utilities sector. Virtually everyone relies on electricity on a daily basis, and to go without power can be a major hardship. Just ask anyone who has experienced an outage. From a business standpoint, a loss of power even for a few hours can deal a significant blow to operations.
