This document discusses how small and midsize businesses are prime targets for cybercriminals for five key reasons:
1. Their data is often more valuable than they realize, whether it be customer information, intellectual property, or access to larger partners' systems.
2. Cyber attacks against SMBs offer low risk and high returns for criminals due to the difficulty in attribution and punishment.
3. SMBs present easier targets as they typically have smaller security budgets and expertise compared to large enterprises.
4. Many SMBs are complacent about cyber threats and do not consider security a high priority.
5. Most SMB security tools are inadequate against sophisticated modern attacks.
Managing Cyber Risk: Are Companies Safeguarding Their Assets?EMC
This white paper summarizes the results of a survey done by RSA, NYSE Governance Series, and Corporate Board Member, in association with Ernst & Young, with 200 audit committee members responding on a variety of issues regarding their cyber risk oversight program.
This Frost & Sullivan analyst report reveals how the legal and threat environment, combined with BYOD and cost factors, make multi-factor, risk-based authentication the logical approach to solving the security challenges posed by threat actors.
Managing Cyber Risk: Are Companies Safeguarding Their Assets?EMC
This white paper summarizes the results of a survey done by RSA, NYSE Governance Series, and Corporate Board Member, in association with Ernst & Young, with 200 audit committee members responding on a variety of issues regarding their cyber risk oversight program.
This Frost & Sullivan analyst report reveals how the legal and threat environment, combined with BYOD and cost factors, make multi-factor, risk-based authentication the logical approach to solving the security challenges posed by threat actors.
In today’s interconnected world, few things terrify CEOs and CTOs more than electronic security (well, a breach of that security, anyway). Most of our records, personal information, corporate information, and sensitive data exist online or on Internet-connected hardware. Mobile, with all it’s advantages for enterprises, actually poses one of the largest emerging threats to those enterprises’ data security. As such, we wanted to share some statistics that demonstrate the severity of the problem and highlight the importance of mobile security for your business.
Corporate treasury is now a top target for cyber-criminals. Treasury’s trove of personal and corporate data, its authority to make payments and move large amounts of cash quickly, and its often complicated structure make it an appealing choice for discerning fraudsters.
The Trust Paradox: Access Management and Trust in an Insecure AgeEMC
This white paper discusses the results of a CIO UK survey on a“Trust Paradox,” defined as employees and business partners being both the weakest link in an organization’s security as well as trusted agents in achieving the company’s goals.
Perception Gaps in Cyber Resilience: What Are Your Blind Spots?Sarah Nirschl
Protecting enterprise systems against cyber threats is a strategic priority, yet only 42% of executives are confident they could recover without impacting their business from a cyber event. Find out the hidden risks of shadow IT, cloud and cyber insurance.
The pre-conference workshop entitled 'Trust is a Terrible Thing to Waste' from the 2010 International Association of Privacy Professionals conference in Washington, D.C. The session reviewed why trust is important, how to handle crisis communications, and how to build trust before a crisis hits.
The 2014 Report on the State of Data Backup for SMBs reveals key insights around data backup, security and recovery as a result of a survey conducted during the first quarter of 2014 by Carbonite, Inc. Discover the 5 key themes to improve your SMB’s data backup, security and recovery in 2014 and beyond.
Corporate Treasurers Focus on Cyber SecurityJoan Weber
Treasury departments at large U.S. companies rank IT security as their top priority for 2015 - ahead of such critical issues as cost management and regulatory/compliance challenges.
These finding come from the results Greenwich Associates 2014 U.S. Large Corporate Finance Study, for which the firm interviewed CFOs or treasury department representatives at more than 500 large U.S. companies.
The study results suggest that U.S. companies are taking action to address security concerns and other IT issues with 63% of the participants saying their treasury departments will increase technology spending in the year ahead.
http://tatainteractive.com/ - A comprehensive cyber security-training program in an organization needs to be multi-tiered and nuanced to be effective. Tata Interactive Systems cybersecurity training curriculum leverages games and simulations to improve the profile of your business. It is also ideal for students who are currently working full-time and are aspiring cybersecurity professionals. TIS can help you to learn more, please visit!
Best of Both Worlds: Correlating Static and Dynamic Analysis ResultsJeremiah Grossman
One of the only guarantees in life is that the first time you analyze a piece of software for security vulnerabilities, you're going to find them. Whether you’re using static or dynamic analysis, prioritizing defects for remediation can strain any organization. This session will demonstrate methods for integrating analysis techniques and show how a combined approach gives better results.
In today’s interconnected world, few things terrify CEOs and CTOs more than electronic security (well, a breach of that security, anyway). Most of our records, personal information, corporate information, and sensitive data exist online or on Internet-connected hardware. Mobile, with all it’s advantages for enterprises, actually poses one of the largest emerging threats to those enterprises’ data security. As such, we wanted to share some statistics that demonstrate the severity of the problem and highlight the importance of mobile security for your business.
Corporate treasury is now a top target for cyber-criminals. Treasury’s trove of personal and corporate data, its authority to make payments and move large amounts of cash quickly, and its often complicated structure make it an appealing choice for discerning fraudsters.
The Trust Paradox: Access Management and Trust in an Insecure AgeEMC
This white paper discusses the results of a CIO UK survey on a“Trust Paradox,” defined as employees and business partners being both the weakest link in an organization’s security as well as trusted agents in achieving the company’s goals.
Perception Gaps in Cyber Resilience: What Are Your Blind Spots?Sarah Nirschl
Protecting enterprise systems against cyber threats is a strategic priority, yet only 42% of executives are confident they could recover without impacting their business from a cyber event. Find out the hidden risks of shadow IT, cloud and cyber insurance.
The pre-conference workshop entitled 'Trust is a Terrible Thing to Waste' from the 2010 International Association of Privacy Professionals conference in Washington, D.C. The session reviewed why trust is important, how to handle crisis communications, and how to build trust before a crisis hits.
The 2014 Report on the State of Data Backup for SMBs reveals key insights around data backup, security and recovery as a result of a survey conducted during the first quarter of 2014 by Carbonite, Inc. Discover the 5 key themes to improve your SMB’s data backup, security and recovery in 2014 and beyond.
Corporate Treasurers Focus on Cyber SecurityJoan Weber
Treasury departments at large U.S. companies rank IT security as their top priority for 2015 - ahead of such critical issues as cost management and regulatory/compliance challenges.
These finding come from the results Greenwich Associates 2014 U.S. Large Corporate Finance Study, for which the firm interviewed CFOs or treasury department representatives at more than 500 large U.S. companies.
The study results suggest that U.S. companies are taking action to address security concerns and other IT issues with 63% of the participants saying their treasury departments will increase technology spending in the year ahead.
http://tatainteractive.com/ - A comprehensive cyber security-training program in an organization needs to be multi-tiered and nuanced to be effective. Tata Interactive Systems cybersecurity training curriculum leverages games and simulations to improve the profile of your business. It is also ideal for students who are currently working full-time and are aspiring cybersecurity professionals. TIS can help you to learn more, please visit!
Best of Both Worlds: Correlating Static and Dynamic Analysis ResultsJeremiah Grossman
One of the only guarantees in life is that the first time you analyze a piece of software for security vulnerabilities, you're going to find them. Whether you’re using static or dynamic analysis, prioritizing defects for remediation can strain any organization. This session will demonstrate methods for integrating analysis techniques and show how a combined approach gives better results.
A+ Washington is a project of the Excellent Schools Now coalition centered around advocating for and supporting our schools to better serve our students.
Technology Development Center IntroductionMeg Weber
An introduction to the Technology Development Center (TDC) including a history, how industry can partner with the University, and current and completed projects.
March 16, 2012 Technology Alliance Group (TAG) for Northwest Washington panel presentation by Jeff Wright (WWU), Dean of the College of Sciences & Technology; Janice Walker (WCC), Workforce Education Coordinator; and Sharon Carpenter (BTC), Dean of Professional Technical Education.
The Technology Alliance’s economic impact report comprehensively measures the contribution of innovation-driven industries on jobs, exports, tax revenues, and associated economic activity in Washington State. This periodic report – the only one of its kind in the state – tracks the tremendous growth of high-impact tech jobs and reveals important changes with far-reaching implications for our economic future, including the explosion in software and computer services employment, the shift from manufacturing to services, and the increasing share of total jobs supported by innovation. State and local leaders need to fully grasp the impact of our innovative industries and the challenges ahead to ensure that the trajectory of high-impact job growth will continue and that Washington’s citizens fully benefit from the innovation economy.
Before the Breach: Using threat intelligence to stop attackers in their tracks- Mark - Fullbright
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Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners.
It is not to be construed or intended as providing legal advice.
Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners and are for educational purposes only.
17 U.S. Code § 107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
Cyber Defense for SMBs offers guidance to help small and medium-sized businesses identify the most cost-effective best practices to help improve their business’s cybersecurity posture. Published by the Florida Center For Cybersecurity and written by cybersecurity experts from academia, private industry, government and the military.
Cybersecurity - you are being targeted -Keyven Lewis, CMIT SOLUTIONSRandall Chase
cybersecurity - You Are Being Targeted
Business executive with high-level management and hands-on analytical skill sets and over 27 years of professional experience in technical solutions and service offering development and implementation, organizational strategies for efficiency, cost controls, and bottom-line profitability, multi-million dollar enterprise-wide client engagements, compliance with schedule, budget, and quality requirements, hiring and leadership of high-performance IT employees.
Keyven Lewis, CMIT SOLUTIONS- Cybersecurity - You Are Being Targeted.
An overview to help SMB owners understand the dynamics (exp. the who, the why, and the how) of cybersecurity as it relates to their business.
Symantec & WSJ PRESENTS "MALWARE on Main Street" ...MZERMA Amine
SPECIAL REPORT : SECURE BUSINESS ...
How-to avoid being hostage of ransomware attacks ?
How-to preserve collaborators work, identities, access ?
"WHY CYBER PROTECTION CAN'T WAIT ?!"
This SPECIAL report from our Partner SYMANTEC, realized in collaboration with WSJ CUSTOM Studios is really a NEED to Read for ALL Executives, Leaders, Influencers, Owners, Admins, ...
White Paper :- Spear-phishing, watering hole and drive-by attacks :- The New ...Invincea, Inc.
The single largest threat your organization faces today is network breach. Spear-phishing, poisoned search results, drive-by downloads, and legitimate sites being compromised to push malware are all part of our current reality. The most successful and common attacks vectors stem from targeted attacks on your employees. Organizations need to utilize solutions that protect their network from user error and support requirements for continuous monitoring, real-time situational awareness and providing actionable threat intelligence for their security teams.
Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the prime target for attackers because they tend to be easier targets. They’re often less secure and unprepared for attack. Think about burglars that go after houses where they know no one is home. With more cybercrime automation and the rise of hacking kits, the cost and time it takes to launch a successful attack have decreased, increasing the amount of cyber-attacks executed.
Cyber Risks & Liabilities - Cyber Security for Small Businessesntoscano50
High-profile cyber attacks on companies such as Target and Sears have raised awareness of the growing threat of cybercrime. Recent surveys conducted by the Small Business Authority, Symantec, Kaspersky Lab and the National Cybersecurity Alliance suggest that many small business owners are still operating under a false sense of cyber security.
The statistics of these studies are grim; the vast majority of U.S. small businesses lack a formal Internet security policy for employees, and only about half have even rudimentary cybersecurity measures in place. Furthermore, only about a quarter of small business owners have had an outside party test their computer systems to ensure they are hacker proof, and nearly 40 percent do not have their data backed up in more than one location.
Malware infections or exploited vulnerabilities could significantly impact the safety of customer information so that, before your business has time to react, your public-facing website could be infected and blacklisted by search
engines, customer trust could be compromised whilst
the clean-up in the aftermath of an attack could wreak
havoc with your brand. With increasingly smart malware infections and consequent online data loss, your business must do more than simply react to website security issues.
Running Head CYBERSECURITY1CYBERSECURITY 15.docxtodd271
Running Head: CYBERSECURITY 1
CYBERSECURITY 15
Cybersecurity in Financial Sector
Student Name
Tutor’s Name
Date
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Background 3
Insiders Threats 5
Research Questions 6
Research Methodology 9
Data Analysis 10
Discussions 10
Conclusion 12
Reference 14
Introduction
Cyber threat has risen as a key danger to financial stability, following ongoing attacks on financial organizations. This research introduces a novel documentation of digital threats far and wide for financial organizations by breaking down the various sorts of cyber events and determining patterns by use of several datasets. As critical framework, financial establishments must execute the most elevated level of cybersecurity as the danger of a devastating cyberattack keeps on growing. Malignant actors, including disgruntled staff, state supported actors and conventional hackers, all have inspirations to attack the financial sector, and do so now and then. Be that as it may, the risk changes somewhat between financially stable organizations as well as new financial institutions. The challenging and multifaceted danger must be completely comprehended so as to appropriately address and dissect solutions to save the security of these foundations and the economy that they contribute to.Background
Financial institutions are a primary component, both to the US as well as the world in general. As basic foundation and guardians of cash, stuns felt in the business can resound, with outrageous results, into each element of American life, as outlined in the 2008 financial crisis. While banks, both momentously huge and modestly small, satisfy the desires to keep the variable worldwide economy generally steady, the risk of cyberattacks on such organizations keep on developing. Consistently, noxious actors, a classification that contains from state supported hackers to disappointed insiders, attack banks through specialized methods.
Some of the attacks are monetarily inspired; some are only interested to disturb and cause the tumult that happens when critical infrastructures are truly undermined. Information breach, a typical type of attack, leave a large number of clients' sensitive data available to anyone. This mixture of damaging variables has lead the money business to be the most elevated high-roller on cybersecurity much higher than the legislature (Rohmeyer & Bayuk, 2018). Albeit accessible literature has assessed the risk from numerous points of view, two key areas require a more top to bottom examination; the one of a kind circumstance looked by little and network banks, and the insider danger faced by organizations of any size. By comprehension and dismembering the danger faced by money related organizations, the expanded mindfulness makes it simpler to break down solution and look towards the eventual fate of the issue.
The dangers faced by financial organizations differ generally in source, methodology of attacks as .
Cyber-criminals are assaulting every part of the enterprise. But not all cyber-attacks are created equal. In the minds of senior executives, the greatest danger of cyber-attacks is damage to the reputation of the firm with its customers.
Preparing today for tomorrow’s threats.
When companies hear the word “security,” what concepts come to mind
— safety, protection or perhaps comfort? To the average IT administrator,
security conjures up images of locked-down networks and virus-free devices.
An attacker, state-sponsored agent or hactivist, meanwhile, may view security
as a way to demonstrate expertise by infiltrating and bringing down corporate
or government networks for profit, military goals, political gain — or even fun.
We live in a world in which cybercrime is on the rise. A quick scan of the
timeline of major incidents (See Figure 1, Page 9) shows the increasing
frequency and severity of security breaches — a pattern that is likely
to continue for years to come. Few if any organizations are safe from
cybercriminals, to say nothing of national security. In fact, experts even
exposed authentication and encryption vulnerabilities in the U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration’s new state-of-the-art multibillion-dollar air
traffic control system
A1 - Cibersegurança - Raising the Bar for CybersecuritySpark Security
In the past few years, a new approach to cybersecurity has emerged, based on the analysis of data on successful attacks. In this approach, continuous diagnostics and mitigation replace the reactive network security methods used in the past. The approach combines continuous monitoring of network health with relatively straightforward mitigation strategies. The strategies used in this approach reduce the opportunities for attack and force attackers to develop more sophisticated (and expensive) techniques or to give up on the target. In combination, continuous monitoring and mitigation strategies provide the basis for better cybersecurity.
2014 Economic Forecast: Leadership's Role in a Changing EconomyMeg Weber
Dr. Hart Hodges presented economic data of trends in professional technical services at a national, state and loval level, including trends of what is and is not working. These trends highlight demographic, economic and other changes affecting the way communities recognize their leaders and how leaders communicate.
Hart Hodges is a professor of economics at WWU and the director of Western’s Center for Economic and Business Research. He is also a partner at Waycross Investment Management Company. In the classroom Hart teaches health economics and environmental economics, as well as the traditional core courses. At the Center, he focuses on applied business economics and connecting the university to the business community in the region. He also enjoys being active in the private sector as a registered investment advisor and fiduciary. He received his PhD from the University of Washington, masters in environmental management from Duke University, and his BA from Williams College. Hart is active in the community, currently serving on the boards of the NW Workforce Development Council and NW Economic Development Council.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
FIDO Alliance Osaka Seminar: Passkeys at Amazon.pdf
Reasons to be secure
1. Big Threats for
Small Businesses
Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business
is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals
White Paper
2. FireEye, Inc. Big Threats for Small Businesses: Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals 2
Contents
White Paper
Introduction 3
Today’s Attacks Target Small and Midsize Businesses 4
Recommendations 6
About FireEye, Inc. 7
3. FireEye, Inc. Big Threats for Small Businesses: Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals 3
Introduction
Your business could be one mouse click away from closing its doors forever. That’s the conclusion of a
2012 study by the National Cyber Security Alliance, which found that 60 percent of small firms go out
of business within six months of a data breach.1 Cyber attacks are growing more sophisticated and,
more often than not, target small and midsize businesses (SMBs). One unlucky click—a malicious email
attachment, a link to a legitimate but compromised website—could result in a costly data breach
that drains your bank account and customer trust.
Cybercriminals know there’s nothing small about SMBs. In addition to creating 64 percent of net new
jobs in the U.S.2, these economic mainstays account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales and about half of
all private-sector payrolls.3
Given their vital role in the economy, it’s no surprise that the smaller firms face a growing tide of cyber
attacks. SMBs aren’t just targets—they’re cybercriminals’ top targets. According to the Verizon 2013
Data Breach Investigations Report, small and midsize businesses suffered data breaches more often
than larger firms.4
“The ‘I’m too small to be a target’ argument doesn’t hold water,” the Verizon report states. “We see
victims of espionage campaigns ranging from large multi-nationals all the way down to those that have
no staff at all.”5
A New York mannequin maker learned that lesson the hard way in 2012 when it lost $1.2 million within a
matter of hours through a series of fraudulent wire transfers. Cybercriminals breached the 100-employee
firm and got its online banking credentials. The company’s anti-virus (AV) software never detected
anything amiss.6
The cost of data breaches can devastate a small or midsize business. According to the Ponemon
Institute, data breaches cost U.S. companies $5.4 million per breach on average. That amounts to
$188 per stolen record.7 And that figure doesn’t include potential liability issues for the target or the
incalculable damage a data breach can wreak on a business’ reputation.
Business disruption alone can cost more than $937,000 per breach, the Ponemon Institute estimates.8
That figure might be bearable for a large enterprise, but would damage most SMBs.
This paper explains targeted attacks and examines five reasons cyber attackers are aiming at small
and midsize businesses.
1 National Cyber Security Alliance. “America’s Small Businesses Must Take Online Security More Seriously.” October 2012.
2 U.S. Small Business Administration. “Small Business GDP: Update 2002-2010.” January 2012.
3 Ibid. “Small Business Trends.” Nov. 2013.
4 Verizon. “2013 Data Breach Investigations Report.” May 2013.
5 Ibid.
6 Sarah E. Needleman (The New York Times). “Cybercriminals Sniff Out Vulnerable Firms.” July 2012.
7 Ponemon Institute. “2013 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis.”
8 Ibid.
4. FireEye, Inc. Big Threats for Small Businesses: Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals 4
Today’s Attacks Target Small and Midsize Businesses
News headlines tend to highlight wide-scale attacks against large enterprises, spectacular attacks
that hit millions of customers. But most attacks actually target small and midsize businesses. And in
relative terms, these attacks often are much more costly to smaller targets.
Unlike the broad, scattershot attacks of the past, today’s cyber assaults are well funded, well
organized, and laser focused. The new generation of attacks, including advanced persistent threats
(APTs), are focused on acquiring something valuable—sensitive personal details, intellectual property,
authentication credentials, insider information, and the like.
Cyber threat actors often lay the groundwork with early reconnaissance. So they know what to look for,
where to look, and all too often, the weak links in your cyber defenses.
From there, each attack often cuts across multiple threat vectors—Web, email, file, and mobile—and
unfolds in multiple stages. With calculated steps, malware gets in, signals back out of the breached
network, and gets valuables out.
Adding insult to injury, cybercriminals often use compromised SMB networks to launch attacks against
other targets. As many as 30,000 websites are infected every day, according to one estimate—and 80
percent of those belong to legitimate small businesses.9
Targeting small and midsize businesses makes more sense than it might seem. Cybercriminal groups are
ruthlessly efficient. They want the biggest bang for their buck, which often means the SMB segment. The
following sections outline five reasons that make small and midsize businesses especially inviting targets.
Reason No. 1: Your data is more valuable than you think
Most businesses have information they want to keep secret. It might be customers’ credit card numbers.
It could be employees’ personal data. Or as in the case of the mannequin maker, it might be something
as valuable as the keys to the business banking account.
The question isn’t whether cybercriminals are targeting your business, but which ones—and what
they’re after.
In addition to having valuable data of their own, most SMBs do business with larger companies. Often
this includes deep ties into partners’ computer systems as part of an integrated supply chain or access
to their sensitive data and intellectual property.
Think of it as six degrees of separation for business. Even if you’re not the ultimate target—and even if
your direct partners aren’t—only a few hops separate you from a valuable target.
“It might not be your data they’re after at all,” the Verizon report states. “If your organization does
business with others that fall within the espionage crosshairs, you might make a great pivot point into
their environment.”
You might think of yourself as a small fish, but you’re connected to bigger fish.
9 Alastair Stevenson (V3). “Hackers target 30,000 SME websites per day to spread malware.” June 2013.
5. FireEye, Inc. Big Threats for Small Businesses: Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals 5
Reason No. 2: Cyber attacks offer low risk and high returns for criminals
The Internet has connected the globe in ways barely conceivable just a few decades ago. It has
opened up remote markets, uncovered lucrative niches to serve, and created brand new ways of
doing business.
The dark side of this progress: the Internet has also made attacks possible from anywhere in the world.
Attackers are rarely caught, let alone punished. Advanced malware typically resides in infected systems
for weeks, even months, before common security tools detect it.10 Some malware quietly cleans up
after itself after exfiltrating data to make a clean getaway.11 And in some cases, attackers are even
sponsored by their home government.12
Those factors are amplified when it comes to SMBs, which are usually less able than their larger
counterparts to detect and counter advanced threats. With much to gain and little to lose, cyber
attackers have strong incentives to attack.
Reason No. 3: You’re an easier target
Small and midsize businesses are facing the same cyber threats as large enterprises, but have a
fraction of the budget to deal with them. More than 40 percent don’t have an adequate IT security
budget, according to a November 2013 survey by the Ponemon Institute.13
Unlike big corporations—with dedicated roles for chief information security officer, chief information
officer, and the like—the typical IT director at a small or midsize business wears many hats. Only 26
percent of small and midsize businesses in the Ponemon survey were confident their firm has enough
in-house expertise for a strong security posture.14
Most small businesses cannot afford layered “defense-in-depth” security employed by large enterprises.
And even if they could, most of these defenses are futile anyway. (See Reason No. 5: “Most SMB security
tools are no match against today’s attacks.”)
Likewise, many smaller companies lack strong security procedures and policies. Only 36 percent of
small business owners have data security policies, according to a September 2013 survey sponsored
by Bank of the West.15
Most cyber attackers follow the path of least resistance. In many cases, this means targeting the very
businesses that can least afford to be hit.
Reason No. 4: Many SMBs have their guards down
The statistics are clear: a small or midsize business is more likely—not less—to face a cyber attack
compared with large enterprises.
And yet nearly 60 percent of small and midsize businesses in the Ponemon survey don’t consider cyber
attacks a big risk to their organization. And 44 percent don’t consider strong security a priority.16
10 Verizon. “2013 Data Breach Investigations Report.” May 2013.
11 Lucian Constantin (IDG News Service). “Flame authors order infected computers to remove all traces of the malware.” June 2012.
12 U.S. Department of Defense. “Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic
of China 2013.” May 2013.
13 Ponemon Institute. “The Risk of an Uncertain Security Strategy Study of Global IT Practitioners in SMB Organizations.” November 2013.
14 Ibid.
15 Harris Interactive. “Fighting Fraud: Small Business Owner Attitudes about Fraud Prevention and Security.” September 2013.
16 Ibid.
6. FireEye, Inc. Big Threats for Small Businesses: Five Reasons Your Small or Midsize Business is a Prime Target for Cybercriminals 6
Despite a growing tide of cyber attacks, 77 percent of SMBs believe that their company is safe from
cyber attacks, “showing that some small businesses are operating under a false sense of security.”17
Many businesses assume that they don’t have anything worth stealing (see Factor No. 1: Your data is
more valuable than you think). Others are unaware of the volume and sophistication of today’s attacks.
In either case, the effect is the same: the business remains vulnerable. As the Verizon report puts it:
Am I a target of espionage? Some may already know the answer to this question by firsthand
experience. Many others assume they aren’t or haven’t thought much about it. Despite the growing
number of disclosures and sometimes alarmist news coverage, many still see espionage as a
problem relevant only to the Googles of the world. Unfortunately, this is simply not true.
Reason No. 5: Most SMB security tools are no match against today’s attacks
The defenses most SMBs have in place today are ill equipped to combat today’s advanced attacks.
Firewalls, next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), AV software, and gateways
remain important security defenses. But they are woefully ineffective at stopping targeted attacks.
These technologies rely on approaches such as URL blacklists and signatures. By definition, these
approaches cannot stop dynamic attacks that exploit zero-day vulnerabilities. If an IPS or AV program
does not have the signature of a new exploit, it cannot stop it. When highly dynamic malicious URLs
are employed, URL blacklists do not cut it.
Most defenses stop known attacks. But they are defenseless against unknown advanced
targeted attacks.
Recommendations
Most cyber attackers are rational. Attackers have strong incentives to target your systems, with
little potential consequence. Given the value of your data, your business cannot afford to ignore
the threat—or waste time and money on ineffective defenses.
Here are three key steps toward shielding your business from the growing scourge of data breaches.
Assume you’re a target
Cyber attacks against small businesses rose 31 percent in 2013 versus the year before, making them
the fastest-growing group of targets.18
Your data is valuable. And you likely have ties to bigger, high-profile business partners. Given that
today’s advanced attacks can easily bypass most security tools, you may have been breached
and not yet know it.
By assuming that you are in cyber attackers’ crosshairs, you can better prepare yourself against
the inevitable attack.
17 National Cyber Security Alliance. “America’s Small Businesses Must Take Online Security More Seriously.” September 2013.
18 Brian Moran (Small Business Edge). “Protecting Your Business From Hackers and Cyber Crimes.” November 2013.