Someone in your organization gets an email with an attached document. The sender seems legitimate, but when they click on the link, it’s not what it claims to be. Soon your organization’s data is encrypted and you receive a message: pay a ransom to the attackers if you want the decryption key. You’ve just been the victim of a ransomware attack. Ransomware has become a major attack vector in 2021.
As we’ve all learned, often the hard way, amazing tech has introduced not-so-amazing risks: viruses, hacks, and leaks, to name a few. A data breach or cyber attack can happen at any moment, to individuals or businesses of any size – and attackers do not discriminate.
I’ve been working at Tripwire for over two decades, and I’ve acquired a fair bit of swag over those years: branded jackets, hats, shoes, a watch, and of course a drawer full of t-shirts. One thing I never would have predicted owning was a Tripwire-branded face mask to protect me from a global pandemic. Over the past year, I’ve worn that face mask more than any of my other swag. Of course, none of my other swag protected me and others from a highly contagious, deadly virus.
Ransomware groups have generated so much damage that the United States Federal government has made it a top priority to thwart such efforts including, hosting a major international summit on the topic, setting up a ransomware task force and repeatedly urging organizations to improve their cyber resilience.
Today’s business landscape means having various business partners. From contractors to technology vendors, third parties are now part of everyone’s daily operations. However, with every new third-party you onboard, you also add a new risk. Supply chain attacks compromise your data, even if the third-party isn’t providing you a technology solution. To secure your data, you need to identify and classify high-risk third parties.
Organized cybercriminals are leaving traditional bank robbers in the dust. Nowadays, the banking sector’s most significant security concerns come in the form of online threats. Banks and other financial institutions process millions of transactions daily, with the majority of the transactions done via digital payment transfer platforms. For that reason, banks have become enticing targets for cybercriminals.
