For any organization that is connected to the cloud or even the WWW, cyber security is a very important area of focus from the data security principles.
Every bit of data – be it the files representing flows or architecture, digital foot prints, have to be viewed in terms of the security triad – confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Cyber Security is a day-to-day operation for many businesses.
A lack of data protection, side effects of a global pandemic and an increase in the exploit curve have led to a huge incline in the hacked and data breached from sources that are common in the working space – irrespective of it being shared or owned.
To add to this, has been the increasing dependency on the Mobility and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Covid-19 has increased the remote work forces making in-roads for cyber attacks and data breaches.
Current studies indicate that the data loss owing to data breaches that many companies have to face are due to poorly planned / implemented cyber security practices.
It is crucial to have a cyber security culture within the organization to prevent cyber attack, which may or may-not be intentional.
Data breach is an important area that needs to be high on the risk management chart.
Workplace vs. Home Security Levels
Although the pandemic and the subsequent lock-downs, allowed us to work from the comfort of our homes, it has always been at a risk of intrusions owing to inadequacy with the cyber security framework at home leading to a data breach.
This is because there is a huge difference in the levels of security, at the work place and at home.
At the work place, the risk assessment that is periodically done, ensures that the threat levels for the firmness of the cyber security framework, are checked and sorted out at every quarter or scheduled defined by the business.
At home, apart from the local Data Layer Protection or Firewalls that run on the systems, there are barely any protection between the Provider switches and the Wifi Access Points in the homes.
This can go to get really messy when we have phones also connected to the same network at the same time, thereby increasing the threat levels.
Now, when the lock-downs were lifted, the organizations took a more subtle role by allowing hybrid working spaces and hours.
Although this meant to be helpful for the employees, it also meant that the levels of risks related to data breaches increased with unchecked / raw / infected systems, being allowed inside the office networks.
To counter this risk, there has to be checks in place with the reports that refer to the risk assessment that has to be done at more regular intervals than the years before 2020.
The cyber attack trends and predicts have now started to change and the year of 2022 and beyond looks as herewith:
As the number of global internet users increase every year, cyber attacks has many new victims.
For companies whose teams have already been fighting the cyber attacks and the data breaches, there is fatigue that has crept in, which is known as cyber fatigue.
Cryptocurrencies need to be regulated as their adoptions grow.
There has to be more checks over the social media platforms as the sharing of information is more than usual.
Cyber attack criminals continue to target remote workers, exploiting the holes in their cyber security framework and move ahead to perform a data breach.
Data breaches in cloud setup, both Public and Private, see a rise in their numbers.
As the threat landscape changes post the pandemic, the shortage of skills within the area of cyber security, will increase. It would take quite some time to bridge this gap.
Introduction of IoT devices was a landmark and everyone felt that this would really ease out their lives.
However, no one really believed at that time, that these devices – if hacked into, can wreck havoc into the lives of people who are dependent on them.
Cyber Security Statistics & Trends
Let us understand some important statistics around the cyber attack trends of today and facts.
- According to the World Economic Forum, 95 percent of the cyber security breaches are caused by Human Error.
- The U.S. was the target of 46 percent of cyber attack trends in 2020, more than double any other country. (Microsoft)
- 68 percent of business leaders feel their cyber security risks are increasing. (Accenture)
- On average, only five percent of companies’ folders are properly protected. (Varonis)
- 54 percent of companies say their IT departments are not sophisticated enough to handle advanced cyber attacks. (Sophos)
- Cyber fatigue, or apathy to proactively defending against cyber attacks, affects as much as 42 percent of companies. (Cisco)
- 43 percent of all breaches are insider threats, either intentional or unintentional. (Check Point)
- Data breaches exposed 22 billion records in 2021. (RiskBased Security)
- Approximately 70 percent of breaches in 2021 were financially motivated, while less than five percent were motivated by espionage. (Verizon)
- There were 1,862 recorded data breaches in 2021, surpassing the 2017 record of 1,506 breaches. (CNET)
- The top malicious email attachment types are .doc and .dot which make up 37 percent for the data breaches; the next highest is .exe at 19.5 percent. (Symantec)
- An estimated 300 billion passwords are used by humans and machines worldwide. (Cyber Security Media)
- Around 40 percent of the world’s population is offline, making them vulnerable targets for cyber attacks if and when they do connect. (Data Reportal)
The statistics for cyber attacks for the year 2022 show the statistics as below:
- The average cost of a data breach was $4.24 million in 2021, the highest average on record. IBM)
- The likelihood that a cyber crime entity is detected and prosecuted in the U.S. is estimated at around 0.05 percent. (World Economic Forum)
- Identity theft rose 42 percent in 2020 compared to the year before. (Insurance Information Institute)
- Data breaches and account breaches have increased by 11 percent since 2018 and 67 percent since 2014. (Accenture)
For more information of the areas of focus, visit us at the page: Acronis Cyber Protect
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