How Business Leaders Can Proactively Prevent A Data Breach
It’s no secret that the rise in threats from criminal actors has been an ongoing problem for business leaders and their organizations worldwide—and it’s showing no sign of slowing down. In the last two years, we have seen an increase in cybersecurity incidents that have affected organizations of all sizes around the world. In October 2021, Check Point Research (CPR) reported a 40% increase in cyberattacks globally, shining a light on the fact that 1 out of every 61 organizations worldwide was affected by ransomware attacks each week.
Today, breaches occur so regularly that they have become commonplace, which is incredibly concerning. Malicious actors are constantly hard at work looking for ways to gain access to data from individuals and organizations. Every industry is at risk of a breach, and what’s more is that accessing and stealing precious data is incredibly easy to do.
Leaders must take appropriate action to constantly improve existing defense mechanisms, as bad actors will continue to hone and improve their efforts and find gaps in security to steal data and use it for malicious purposes. With the rapid advancements in quantum computing, bad actors have increased the ability to access information that could be detrimental not only to individuals and organizations but to national security as well.
And the motivation behind threats has undoubtedly shifted over time. Financial gain continues to be a primary reason, but espionage and acquiring sensitive information are also big motivators for cybercriminals. Business leaders must take proactive steps now to safeguard their data and enhance data protection in the future.
Old Ways Will No Longer Protect You
It’s time to face the facts: The use of older encryption methods has reached its limit. These dated implementations are extremely vulnerable and no longer have the ability to adequately secure and protect. By resting on their laurels and not adapting and implementing appropriate changes, organizations are leaving themselves wide open to being targeted by malicious actors and having their data—and that of their customers and stakeholders—exposed. With the advancements in technology and movement toward a fully remote or hybrid work model, the amount of data has increased exponentially and the number of attack vectors available to cybercriminals has increased significantly as well, making it easier for malicious actors to breach security systems and take valuable information. It is time to embrace new encryption solutions.
Cybercriminals at home and abroad are taking advantage of poor encryption more and more each day. A trend we have seen more recently is the stockpiling of data to be decrypted down the line when developments in quantum computing make it possible.
