Are Cyber Security Operations More Difficult Now?
A new study shared by CSO Online, reported over 70% of IT pros and cyber security experts believe cyber security operations are more difficult now than they were two years ago. Although this may not be surprising to some, others may find it debatable.
Ransomware has taken the globe by storm, but this threat has been existent since the late 1980’s. However, cyber criminals continue to find new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, making today’s ransomware attacks far more effective than they have been in the past. Phishing scams, or emails sent with malicious intent, are nothing new. But again, advancements have been made to make these attacks more successful than in the past. These advancements include adding ransomware attachments, increasing the look of legitimacy of the emails, etc. Cyber criminals have also moved to using mobile devices to attack users. These attacks include direct messages and/or apps that include the malware. The latest and greatest threat is malicious scripting, or fileless malware. This malware is undetectable by most security solutions because it attacks through scripting agents (PowerShell, WScript, CScript, etc.), which typically aren’t scanned for security.
**PC Matic customers, rest assured — you’re protected. PC Matic, PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP all scan for malicious scripting attacks.
It’s Time for Something New
Although many of these threats are the same as what was used years ago, attack methods have advanced. Cyber criminals continue find alternative ways to infect users, whether it is through unpatched software or simply bypassing existing security solutions.
If the threat landscape continues to excel, what are users doing to stay protected? Does it make sense to use a security solution that isn’t keeping up with the latest threats? Many security solutions continue to use the same method of malware detection, that was used over a decade ago — blacklisting. The blacklist approach allows all unknown files to run, assuming they’re safe — until proven otherwise. By then it is too late.
It is time users begin protecting their data like they do their homes. Would you let an unknown person in until they prove they’re bad? Probably not. You wouldn’t let them in until you knew they were safe. That is how whitelisting works. An unknown file is not allowed to execute until it has been tested and proven safe.
Conclusion
An overwhelming majority of experts believe cyber security operations are more difficult today than they were two years ago. Although, several of the threats users face today are the same as two years ago, cyber criminals continue to advance their attack methods. With superior attack methods, users need to implement better security. It’s time to start being proactive. It’s time for PC Matic.
