The Dangers of Cybersecurity Complacency To End The Year

With Thanksgiving approaching and Christmas soon to follow, businesses can get distracted with the workload brought by the holidays. Companies all too often become so enthralled with sales and transactions that they neglect to ensure the customer’s information is protected. Cybersecurity breaches are occurring more often. Symantec reported 400 million new pieces of malware were discovered in 2015, a 36% increase from the previous year. Online threats are targeting businesses for their sensitive information and it is up to business leaders to protect that information and remain non-complacent.

Complacency in cybersecurity efforts can hinder the defense measures set in place. Hackers are always working to penetrate your system through avenues you have not protected, which makes it important for businesses to stay proactive in their defense. In May of 2014, eBay fell victim to a data breach that led to 145 million user records being compromised. It was determined that the breach was conducted in late February or early March, but wasn’t detected until May, leaving much time for cyber criminals to root around your sensitive information. Unfortunately for eBay, their complacency led to one of the biggest data breaches in history.

One of the biggest problems companies do not realize is that it can happen to anyone. No company is too big or too small to fall victim to cybersecurity threats. Issues such as ransomware are geared toward “tricking” an employee into providing data that they shouldn’t. These ransomware attacks are said to quadruple in 2016. Also known as “phishing,” these tactics have been used to target businesses all over the world. In 2015, an international cyber crime ring based in Eastern Europe managed to take $1 billion over the course of two years from 100 different banks in almost 30 countries. Over the course of two to four months, the cybercriminals stole up to $10 million from each bank. This is evidence that company leaders see as a reason to take a progressive approach in order to keep up with the explosion of cybersecurity risks.

With events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, online shopping has led to personal information is being sent by the millions. Last year’s Cyber Monday resulted in $3.07 billion in goods sold, nearly $21 million per hour. Businesses should test their cybersecurity defenses for any possible breaches before an issue presents itself. Employees should be trained and made aware of online threats, especially during the holiday rush. Abacode’s trained professionals can help educate your business on the risks that linger online. Abacode can determine whether or not you are vulnerable to a breach and can show you the value and benefits of their services. Don’t fall victim to cyberattacks and take preemptive measures to protect you and your company.

Categorized in: Work

This post was written by Elevate, Inc.