Cyber Security, Facts About Cyber Security

Facts About Cyber Security

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Cybercrime is big business. Cybercrime costs the global economy an estimated $575 billion; $100 billion of which comes from the US. The Unites States is the #1 country for cybercrime, and every person and business is a target. We are exploring the world of cybercrime and providing you with resources to protect your business.

 

  • They aren’t computer nerds; they are the country’s most wanted criminals

If you think hackers are computer nerds in their mothers’ basements, this illusion puts you at risk. Just like any other crime, there are smalltime offenders and largescale operations. The FBI’s #1 wanted man has managed to gain access to millions of computers with a ransomware attack that captured banking information and robbed Americans of more than $100 million.

 

  • Most computers are vulnerable

Ninety-nine percent of computers are equipped with some of the most vulnerable software. If Adobe or Java sound familiar to you, you are at-risk. These programs are especially susceptible to exploit kits. Cognoscape identifies these susceptible programs, recommends patches, and scans for threats minute to minute. Cognoscape will also ensure the computer system and software are up-to-date.

The most expensive attack ever cost $38.5 million. Do you remember the MyDoom worm from 2004? MyDoom originated in Russia and was sent to millions of users via a junk email disguised as a legitimate message. Once users clicked on the link, the worm invaded. The worm’s main goals were to provide backdoor access to the systems to permit remote control, and it would do a direct denial of service.

These types of attacks are dangerous because they access personal information and take over control in the system. Cognoscape’s security risk audit considers the threat of such attacks and looks for current hot spots and security gaps to prevent an intrusion. Cognoscape provides strategies for continued defense and constant monitoring to identify and prevent attacks on the systems.

 

  • The more you ‘like’ and ‘share,’ the more you attract criminals

Social media is a hotbed for criminal activity. Think about it; people share everything about themselves, they click on links, watch videos, tag their friends in any post that looks attractive, and invite friends to like pages to earn incentives. Fake ‘like’ buttons cause users to download malware, links to reputable sites are hijacked with links to malicious sites and downloads, criminals phish for sensitive information, and social spam exposes thousands of users to dangerous content.

Cognoscape’s security risk audit looks at the social media practices within the organization as well as monitors social media activity to protect the business from intrusive programs that may not be identified by the user. Cognoscape makes recommendations for monitoring and social media best practices, and protects the business’s links to insulate the company from social media criminals.

 

  • People on the inside want to get you

Companies are staffed by people, and people are the ones who make the errors, are tricked into providing sensitive information, and who have malicious intentions. It is estimated that 59% of fired employees or employees who quit take company data with them when they leave.

A Cognoscape audit looks at the company’s current password strategies and management, backup and recovery solutions, file sharing practices, and permissions to protect businesses from disgruntled employees.

 

  • You won’t get your money back

Sadly, cybercrime is the most expensive crime, and it is a near-perfect crime. It is hard to detect the offenders, and all businesses and users are targets. The average time to detect a threat is nearly 6 months and the average cost in the US is $12.7 million a year. Sixty-eight percent of cybercrime costs are unrecoverable. The best thing for businesses to do is to see where their vulnerabilities lie, how they can prevent and protect, and how they can establish a system of constant monitoring. A security risk assessment does that and much more. Businesses that spend the money now to assess and protect their systems save thousands—or millions—in the future.