Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and more damaging. Attacks range from malware that eats away at company systems to distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) that bring the entire network down. These attacks can lead to productivity loss, cost, and customer dissatisfaction. For some industries, especially those with critical infrastructure such as healthcare and financial services or manufacturing, the impact is even more severe.
Most cyberattacks are financially motivated, with criminals targeting sensitive information like bank accounts, credit cards or intellectual property to steal money or sell on the dark web. Other threat actors are more interested in industrial espionage and competitive advantage by accessing proprietary data of competitors, suppliers or customers. Finally, terrorist organizations and nation-states are increasing their propensity to use cyberattacks to cause damage to the country.
While the lion’s share of breaches come from outside attackers, human error is also a significant threat factor and often responsible for the majority of incidents. Employees make technology-related risk decisions every day, whether it’s clicking on a malicious link or downloading software without proper review. Educating employees on security best practices and conducting regular training sessions can help reduce this type of threat.