22/10/2014
Endpoints are the new perimeter
Today’s threat landscape is unrecognisable from the one that we knew five years ago. Cybercriminals are no longer pimply teenagers in basements, but sophisticated, well equipped and well-funded thieves.
Organised crime and nation states play a role too, funding the development of cyber weapons and capabilities, all with two aims in mind – stealing your most sensitive data or generating revenue. Malware toolkits are brazenly sold online, allowing even those crooks with minimal technical ability to start making a profit off cybercrime. Even more outrageous, many of these crimeware sellers offer service and support.
Jayson O’Reilly, director of sales and innovation at DRS, says the vectors through which cyber criminals attack have also changed, moving from infrastructure, to the user themselves and the endpoint.
The insider threat has been well documented he says. “Not only your careless user who leaves a flash drive or laptop lying around unguarded, but malicious insiders, such as disgruntled ex-staff who will deliberately sell or give away your most private information. Social engineering too is a factor, targeting individuals within your business, with mails that appear so genuine, even the most sceptical of us can be fooled.”
He says in this way, the endpoint is essentially the new perimeter, and must be secured at all costs. “Keeping all your information and systems safe has never been trickier. Security is a catch-up game at best, with the criminals always having the upper hand. Unless you want your company to be the next breach headline, new tools and tactics must be used to prevent data breaches.”
- IT-Online