Here are some surprising cybersecurity myths, debunked for you. The importance of factual cybersecurity information has only increased as the years go by. And in a time when technology threats are growing at alarming rates, caused by the exacerbation of online solutions and remote work stemming from concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. In the last 4 years, global spending on cybersecurity has increased by $9 billion, and that number is growing every year, according to Statista.
Myth: Cybersecurity Threats Are Mostly External
The first of all cybersecurity myths has two parts. Most people think cybersecurity threats come from external sources, people outside of their company who are looking to extort or sabotage them. While many threats do exist externally, this isn’t always the case. In fact, up to 55% of cyber threats are now coming from internal sources, according to Lutz. Internal threats can stem from something as innocuous as an employee who gives out sensitive company information to a bad actor unknowingly, to an insider who is paid to siphon information from your company to a competitor, or worse.
There is also a prevailing myth that hackers are these organized units who have a fleet of people working tirelessly to ruin your business and others, probably wearing black hoodies and operating out of an abandoned warehouse, like in the movies. While hackers are organized (the internet brings everyone together, for better or for worse), cybercriminals look like everyone else, and many of them aren’t hiding in the dark. They could be operating out of your local coffee shop or library, or in the case of internal threats, your own office spaces, or remote work areas.
Myth: IT Is Responsible for Cybersecurity
While IT is at the forefront of your cybersecurity programs, it is the job of every employee to help secure the integrity of your business and its data. According to Verizon, 49% of malware is installed over email. And if your employees aren’t trained and refreshed on the latest cybersecurity best practices, every email address you have given to them is a potential access point for a breach.
Myth: You Will Know Right Away if You Have Been Breached
In the early days of cybercrime, it was much easier to tell if your system had been breached – pop-up ads, slow-loading browsers, these things were hallmarks of a network attack. But now, it’s much harder to tell you’ve got a problem, which is why this is another one of the most surprising cybersecurity myths. Each cybersecurity tool detects specific things, there is no one-stop-shop for protection. And certain threats can hide in your system, mining data, or worse, for months or even years.
In fact, one of the biggest hacks in history, Alibaba: “Over an eight-month period, a developer working for an affiliate marketer scraped customer data…using crawler software he created.”
Fact: CyberFort Is Your Path to Cybersecurity Success
Cybersecurity myths and misinformation can mean the difference between protecting your business and implementing placebo procedures that leave your data and your livelihood at risk.
With CyberFort Advisors SOC services, you can completely secure your business with a team of our domestic experts. Get your security fully managed and avoid ever having to hire any additional IT staff. Our team can assess your threats, vulnerabilities, and risks, and take care of log management, intrusion detection solutions, and firewall management.
Contact us today to learn more.