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Report: International Organizations unprepared
for more Sophisticated Ransomware
Solutions: monitoring the network; deploying patches and upgrades on time
A
cybersecurity
report
found
that
organizations are unprepared for future
strains of more sophisticated ransomware.
TheCisco2016MidyearCybersecurityReport
(MCR) warned that fragile infrastructure,
poor network hygiene, and slow detection
rates are providing ample time and air cover
for adversaries to operate. According to the
report’sfindings, the struggle toconstrain the
operational space of attackers is the biggest
challenge facing businesses and threatens
the underlying foundation required for
digital transformation.
The report added that So far in 2016,
ransomware has become themost profitable
malware type in history.
Cisco expects to see this trend continue with
even more destructive ransomware that can
spread by itself andhold entirenetworks, and
therefore companies, hostage.
Faster time to detection of threats is critical
to constrain attackers’ operational space
and minimize damage from intrusions, the
report added.
The Cisco report pointed out that for
attackers, more time to operate undetected
results in more profits. In the first half of
2016, Cisco reports, attacker profits have
skyrocketed due to expanding focus, as
attackers are broadening their focus from
client-side to server-side exploits, avoiding
detection andmaximizing potential damage
and profits.
According to the report, Adobe Flash
vulnerabilities continue to be one of the top
targets formalvertisingandexploit kits. In the
popular Nuclear exploit kit, Flash accounted
for 80 percent of successful exploit attempts.
The Cisco report advises simple steps to
protect business environments, which
included the following:
Improve network hygiene, by monitoring
the network; deploying patches and
upgrades on time; segmenting the network;
implementing defenses at the edge,
including email and web security, Next-
Generation Firewalls and Next-Generation
IPS.
Integrate defenses, by leveraging an
architectural approach to security versus
deploying niche products.
Report