During the Black Hat 2017 Conference, held June 25-27, 2017 in Las Vegas, a survey was conducted among more than 250 conference attendees who were...hackers on security. The results of the survey clearly show: we ourselves (consciously or not) provide hackers with a variety of opportunities to interfere with critical data and IT infrastructure. Awareness alone is not enough - we need the support of technology in this uneven fight.
The results of the survey and the responses we received are not surprising - they clearly show the gaps in security systems, ruthlessly exploited by hackers.
Interestingly, more than 54% surveyed identify themselves as White Hat Hackers
(Such white-gloved thieves who don't want to harm, but detect vulnerabilities and help level them). 34% declared themselves as Grey Hat Hackers (they like to help but sometimes also harm). 15% respondents described themselves as Black Hat Hackers - these are the ones who do the most harm and like to, for example, encrypt drives for ransom.
What else did the hackers say?
- 32% respondents indicated that access to privileged accounts is the easiest
and the fastest way to break into a system
- 27% indicated that hacking into email accounts is the fastest way to gain access to critical data
- 73% points out the outdated and unsuited to modern requirements features available in traditional firewall and antivirus software systems
- 80% pointed to the human factor as the weakest link in companies' security ecosystem. Only 10% pointed to outdated software and 5% to inadequate or outdated technology.
- According to 68% respondents, the biggest obstacles for hackers are systems
With multiple authentication and/or encryption
What about the classic memorization of passwords? As it turns out, it's a perfect gateway for cybercriminals. More than 35% of those surveyed indicated that frequently used password memorization functions are highly vulnerable to exploit attacks (remote execution of malicious code on the system).
ISCG reminds: ignorance of safety rules does not exempt you from applying them....
As experienced experts in data security, we recommend taking action, which should be a daily habit supported by a list of "to-do" tasks for every IT department in their daily work.
ISCG recommends:
1 Regular training of business owners in basic safety rules.
2 Implement management policies based on employee education - less complicated procedures and more flexibility in working on IT systems.
3 Implement multi-level authentication for email accounts and all privileged accounts.
4 Enable encryption to protect access data.
5 Automate security management processes for privileged accounts.
Do you need support? Fill out the form below for a free consultation with an ISCG expert and learn how to increase your security comfort.