14 DAY TRIAL // If you want more proof that ransomware is now a rampant problem, you should know that 61% of organizations were found to have been compromised by ransomware in 2016.
CyberEdge Group released its latest Cyberthreat Defense Report and, following its surveys, said that a huge number of organizations were affected by ransomware last year. Of those affected, 54% managed to get their data back without paying the ransom, while another 33% chose to pay the ransom to recover their info. Another 13% refused to pay and lost the data as a consequence.
Other findings detailed in the report indicate that the number of network breaches is rising, while one of the biggest security risks for any organization is posed by under-trained employees. Thankfully, however, organizations are starting to invest more in security so we might see a more even fight in the years to come.
The number of cyberattacks is also on the rise. Back in 2014, 62% of organizations were affected by successful attacks. In 2015, the number rose to 70%, only to reach 76% in 2016. Estimates put this year's success rate at 79%. This paints a very bleak future where cyber attacks are more and more successful and the data we entrust various companies will end up with criminals.
More money, fewer results
Participants to the survey were also asked which of 11 applications and data-centric technologies their organizations used. It seems that database firewalls and web application firewalls had the highest adoption rate, the number hitting 65%.
The highest risk, however, continues to be employees themselves. Most often than not, because they are not properly trained on how to keep their data secure, they might tap on a link they shouldn't, access a website they are not supposed to, or download and run a file that's infected with some type of malware. Once in the network, the infection spreads like wildfire.
Steve Piper, CEO of CyberEdge Group, is baffled by the way things are going. Despite investing more every year, the frequency and severity of data breaches is only rising. The first thing organizations need to do is invest more in training. The second is to secure their systems as best as possible to prevent attackers from getting in.