Despite record levels of cybersecurity spending in 2021, senior IT leaders remain pessimistic about their organizations’ overall security posture. Nearly 80 percent of those polled recently by IDG said their organizations aren’t adequately protected against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Cybersecurity
Ransomware attacks have skyrocketed. An IDC study found that approximately 37 percent of organizations have fallen victim to some form of ransomware. Phishing, denial of service attacks and cryptojacking are also on the rise, with damages related to cybercrime expected to exceed $6 trillion globally in 2021.
Long before Halloween was over, the candy and goblins were shoved aside to make room for Christmas gifts and decorations. Many consumers are starting their Christmas shopping early this year amid concerns of supply chain bottlenecks and inventory shortages.
There’s no such thing as bulletproof security. It simply doesn’t exist. Even organizations with world-class security controls can fall victim to zero-day exploits, weak or stolen passwords, or user error.
Many security experts agree that ransomware is the greatest cybersecurity threat organizations face today. Ransomware attacks nearly doubled in the first half of 2021, compared to 2020. In a recent Sophos survey, 37 percent of respondents said they were affected by ransomware in the past year. The National Security Institute estimates that the average ransom demand is now $200,000, compared to $5,000 in 2018.
