Cyber threats are everywhere, from hackers causing mischief to show off their skills to organized crime syndicates employing sophisticated financial ruses against governmental organizations, businesses, social channels and individuals. Seventy-one percent of companies admit they fell victim to a successful cyberattack in 2014, leading them to increase their security investments. This in turn created a $170 billion security market in 2015, according to Gartner. Hackers aren’t just targeting companies—an estimated 556 million people fall victim to cybercrime annually or 12 people every second. The World Economic Forum estimates the economic cost of cybercrime to be $3 trillion worldwide.
Today’s cyber criminals have substantial resources at their disposal. The increased sophistication and targeted nature of security threats, coupled with their increasing frequency, has ensured that security breaches are now the top issue affecting all users and organizations today. As we look to the future, the explosion of connected devices and data flows are making it even more challenging to protect against advanced targeted attacks. By 2020, we estimate that:
- Four billion people will be online—that’s double the number as today
- Fifty billion devices will be connected to the Internet
- Data volumes online will be 50 times greater than today
These increased numbers add up to a higher level of complexity—and greater risk of malicious attacks and security exposure. Plus, an estimated 75 percent of infrastructure will be under third-party control (i.e., cloud providers or Internet Services Providers.) It is critical to ensure that the provider you choose has the right people, processes, and technology available to accurately identify security breaches before they can cause damage and respond to events rapidly and effectively.
Learn more about cybersecurity threats and how you can help protect your data and your organization with Pro-Active IT.