Has your business recently been the target of a cybercrime? Prior to the attack, had you invested anything into cybersecurity efforts for your business? Unfortunately, there seems to be no sign of slowing down for these targeted cyberattacks. Cybercrime, known to consist of phishing attempts, illicit ransomware, identity theft and fraud, is sweeping the world. Reportedly on a 600% rate increase since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in December of 2019.
Knowing crime rates are on the rise, investment into the most expensive form of protection is seemingly the best idea for keeping organizations secure. For most organizations, their spend is somewhere within the $2.5 million dollars range. Unfortunately, these efforts can’t always guarantee ample protection.
What is causing this vulnerability, though? According to half of all information technology professionals, it’s likely related to the executives of a company being compromised. As nearly 75% of organizations that do fall victim to these attacks report having up-to-date protection, it certainly seems more reasonable than the investment being wasted.
These cybercriminals true targets are in fact the executives of organizations. Which makes sense, considering these individuals have the most access to sensitive data. Some data falling into the wrong hands could lead to an entire company being in jeopardy. This is why most organizations prioritize fortifying the security that their executives utilize, as protecting their personal data becomes an extension of protecting the company’s data.
Protecting an executive often begins with a careful scan online to check where the extent of the executive’s presence. Various social media or professional networking accounts, self-made blogs, anything that includes information that might be tied to an executive should be examined. If the information seems to personal, it might be worth scraping it from the web. Most importantly, though, is the efforts organizations take to educate their executives regarding these cybercrime techniques. Executives understanding and being able to identify what one of these attacks might look like is crucial for security purposes.
For example, executives should be able to identify phishing messages with ease. This isn’t possible without proper education, though. Which is why executives should feel confident in spotting the signs or tells of these messages. Encourage them to slowly scan their mailboxes and avoid clicking through on any link in a suspicious e-mail. Deleting any e-mail from a sender outside of their contact list with strange wording or phrasing is also suggested. Most importantly, though, always remind these executives to avoid sharing any of their personal information over an e-mail or phone call.
As cybersecurity continues to evolve, it can be challenging for organizations to continue to keep up. If you’re interested in learning more about how to protect your organization from these types of attack, be sure to take a moment to review the information shared within the infographic coupled alongside this post. Courtesy of Cancom Global Security.
