Evolving threat landscape reveals a growing need for security intelligence
Woburn, MA – December 14, 2016 – In 2016, the world’s biggest cyber threats were related to money, information and a desire to disrupt. The notable threats included the underground trade of tens of thousands of compromised server credentials, hijacked ATM systems, ransomware and mobile banking malware – as well as targeted cyberespionage attacks and the hacking and dumping of sensitive data. These trends, their impact and the supporting data are covered in the annual Kaspersky Security Bulletin Review and Statistics reports, published today.
In 2016 Kaspersky Lab research also discovered the extent to which companies struggle to quickly spot a security incident: 28.7 percent said it took them several days to discover such an event, while 19 percent admitted it took weeks or more. For a small but significant minority of 7.1 percent, it took months. Among those that struggled most, eventual discovery often came about through an external or internal security audit, or an alert from a third party, such as a client or a customer. Further details on how a delay in detection impacts business recovery costs can be found in the Executive Summary of the review.
Additional discoveries in 2016:
“The number and range of cyberattacks and their victims seen in 2016 has put the subject of better detection at the top of the business agenda. Detection is now a complex process that requires security intelligence, a deep knowledge of the threat landscape, and the skills to apply that expertise to each individual organization,” said David Emm, Principal Security Researcher, Kaspersky Lab. “Our analysis of cyberthreats over the years has revealed both patterns and unique approaches. This accumulated understanding underpins our active defense tools, as we believe protection technologies should be powered by security intelligence. It also sits at the heart of our growing number of partnerships and collaborations. We use the past to prepare for the future, so that we can continue to protect our customers from undetected threats, before they do any harm,” he added.
An overview of intelligence-based security protection can be found here.
Notable statistics for the year include:
The Kaspersky Security Bulletin for 2016 comprises the following documents:
Threat Predictions 2017 available here.
Story of the Year: The Ransomware Revolution available here. It also includes advice on how to stay safe and why not to pay the ransom.
Review of the Year: Executive Summary, available on Securelist.
Review of the Year: Full Report, available here.
Statistics, available here.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is one of the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity companies and the largest that is privately-owned. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users (IDC, 2014). Since 1997 Kaspersky Lab has been an innovator in cybersecurity and provides effective digital security solutions and threat intelligence for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab is an international company, operating in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 400 million users worldwide.
Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Kitsos
781.503.2615
Sarah.Kitsos@kaspersky.com