EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
A new report from Check Point Software shows how various trends from 2017 have shaped the existing cyber landscape. Major ransomware attacks, DDoS extortion campaigns, data breaches, nation-state attacks, and industrial botnets sent a clear message: We have entered a new era in cyberattacks. Worse, only three percent of businesses are prepared for today’s fifth generation cyberattacks, according to the report.
Doug Cahill, group director and senior cybersecurity analyst at market research firm Enterprise Strategy Group, remarks, “No public or private enterprise is immune; hospitals, city governments and global corporations are all at risk, yet 97% of all organizations are not equipped to deal with these Gen V mega attacks, and this needs to change.”
According to the report, organizations that use prevention-based cybersecurity technologies are 30 percent faster in identifying and remediating threats.
“We’re seeing a new generation of cyberattacks – powered by leaked state-sponsored technology, and these ‘Gen V’ attacks are multi-vector, fast-moving, and mega-scaled,” comments Peter Alexander, Check Point chief marketing officer.
The report is based on surveys of IT professionals and C-level executives. as well as Check Point’s Threat Cloud and threat intelligence reports during 2017. Findings include:
- 97% of organizations are using outdated cybersecurity technologies.
- 77% of CISOs feel their security teams are unprepared for today’s cybersecurity challenges.
- Ransomware in EMEA leaped to 48% from 28% in 2016.
- Nearly 20,000 hospital appointments were cancelled due to the WannaCry ransomware attack.
- 33% of companies experienced a DDoS attack.
- More than 300 apps in the Google Play Store contained malware and were downloaded by more than 106 million users.
- 50% of incidents handled by Check Point’s Incident Response team were cloud related.
Get the full report here.