Cybersecurity: the threats are multiple, how do we tackle them?
Tech culture
External and internal threat assessment
The threats are not limited to direct attacks on company information systems. They can also come from compromised subcontractors or employee negligence. A comprehensive encryption strategy is the key to dealing with these protean threats.
From ransomware to chairman of the board scams: the attack methods are varied
How would you describe a cyber attack? Long gone are the days when the only IT threats to businesses were from viruses. Today, most conventional protection systems protect from that. On the other hand, many new threats have emerged over the years.
Top scourge: ransomware. It randomly affects all types of organization, whether key accounts, SMEs, hospitals or local authorities. This type of malware paralyzes the information system by exfiltrating and encrypting the important files, or by encrypting the production data. Beyond the demanded ransom, the exfiltrated data is usually sold on the dark web. A double penalty for victims.
According to a Sophos study, this year France recorded the highest rate of ransomware attacks, with 74% of surveyed businesses reporting that they had been impacted in the past year, a 10-point increase on the 64% reported in 2023.
Another now commonplace threat is CEO fraud Accountants receive a (bogus) email from their managing director instructing them to make an immediate bank transfer to a supplier.
Cyber-criminals make extensive use of social engineering to collect personal data and entice their victims to click on a malicious link or open a rogue attachment using particularly realistic phishing attacks.
Artificial intelligence can be used to design new malware, to launch personalized phishing campaigns translated into every language, and also to generate voice or video deepfakes.
A multiple and complex threat
Greed is not the attackers’ only motivation. State “sponsored” groups of hackers can seek to destabilize an organization by saturating its information system (denial of service attack) or defacing its website. Cyber-espionage involves plundering intellectual property (drawings, contracts, patents, etc.).
However, the threat is not always where you expect it to be. With the notion of extended information systems, businesses increasingly share sensitive information with partners and suppliers. These new collaboration modes intensify so-called rebound attacks, in which hackers pass through one of the subcontractors to work their way up to the target organization.
In-house breaches
The threat also comes from within. The obvious example is that of a disgruntled ex-employee who leaves with the customer file. Employees can accidentally expose sensitive data to threats without even realizing.
The widespread use of work from home has lowered the level of vigilance. Alone in front of their screens and without the advice of colleagues physically present at their sides, employees become easier prey for hackers. All the more so as they don’t have the same level of protection as inside their company.
The Cloud also confuses users. With file-sharing tools such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, employees don’t always know whether their data is stored locally on their computer or in the Cloud.
To make business leaders aware of this danger, PRIM’X has published a white paper on “Data confidentiality in the Cloud era”.
Applying a “Zero Trust” policy
Faced with these multiple threats, businesses need to change how they approach cybersecurity. The “cloudification” of information systems and the widespread use of work from home lead to the questioning of the traditional perimeter defense model and the adoption of the “Zero Trust” model.
As its name suggests, the “Zero Trust” concept is based on the premise that it is no longer possible to trust users by default, solely based on their physical or network location. Whether outside or inside the information system, every person, endpoint or digital system must first be identified as legitimate before being authorized to access information.
Systematic encryption, the fully comprehensive insurance policy
An encryption policy is fully in line with “Zero Trust” logic. The systematic encryption of data, whether in transit or at rest, guarantees its integrity even in the event of compromise. In the wrong hands, encrypted data is unusable.
This systematic encryption makes it possible to protect from data leakage attacks. Finally, encryption technologies apply to all organizations, regardless of their size. Key accounts and vitally important operators are not the only ones that want to protect their information assets. With encryption, SMEs can also keep their data securely in a tamper-proof safe.
Cybersecurity demands constant vigilance and a global approach to all threats, whether internal or external. Never underestimate the diversity of these ever more complex and multiple threats! Encryption is the most effective defense against the theft or compromise of corporate data. Organizations can then better protect their sensitive data from the various attack vectors.
