It's Time To Take Advanced Malware Threats Seriously
There’s no doubt that malware is on the rise. Cybersecurity studies from the past couple of years have found that millions of new strains are developed on an annual basis. That's a lot of threats to account for with a limited number of resources. It's important that businesses take a hard look at the current state of their data security processes and prioritize opportunities for improvement to address the most pressing threats lurking in cyberspace.
Not all malware is created equal. Some can cause far more damage than others, and security teams need to be on alert for those strains that could cause massive headaches for businesses. Security Intelligence contributor George Tubin noted that some malware could be characterized as being more annoying rather than dangerous. Sure, they can cause performance issues with PCs and require tech support to take time out of their day to be removed, but they are unlikely to cause problems on the scale of a Sony or Target breach.
Tubin explained that what security teams should really be worried about are advanced malware threats. These strains, while not nearly as numerous as your garden-variety malware, can inflict lasting damage if they find their way into an enterprise environment.
"Because most malware detection software is designed to find standard, known malware - and because standard, known malware represents the vast majority of enterprise malware - most organizations falsely believe they are finding and eliminating virtually all malware threats," Tubin wrote. "This is exactly what the advanced malware attackers want them to believe. While many organizations are satisfied with their malware detection statistics, this small sliver of advanced malware goes undetected and remains in position to cause devastating damage."
Advanced malware threatens data integrity
Those threats include zero-day malware strains, which can slip by perimeter defenses undetected and remain active within a company's system for months before being discovered. That gives hackers plenty of time to access sensitive assets and siphon off valuable information. To help combat advanced malware and keep enterprise environments secure, security teams should look to deploy sophisticated endpoint threat detection and response tools.
Businesses must have total oversight across their various endpoints to put themselves in the best position to quickly identify and remove a malware threat. Cybercriminals have a number of attack verticals to take advantage of when targeting a company, particularly as enterprise operations become more expansive and complicated. Tubin explained that individual laptops, for instance, can serve as gateways for hackers to enter the broader enterprise network. If a laptop connects to a unsecure point outside the network, it could easily be compromised. When that endpoint reconnects, it could bring external threats with it.
That is why security teams should make an honest assessment of where their greatest vulnerabilities lie and take concerted steps to address them. Continuous endpoint visibility solutions, for example, can be extremely beneficial for businesses concerned about having porous network defenses. Ultimately, an organization should customize its cybersecurity processes according to need and available resources.
Not all malware is created equal. Some can cause far more damage than others, and security teams need to be on alert for those strains that could cause massive headaches for businesses. Security Intelligence contributor George Tubin noted that some malware could be characterized as being more annoying rather than dangerous. Sure, they can cause performance issues with PCs and require tech support to take time out of their day to be removed, but they are unlikely to cause problems on the scale of a Sony or Target breach.
Tubin explained that what security teams should really be worried about are advanced malware threats. These strains, while not nearly as numerous as your garden-variety malware, can inflict lasting damage if they find their way into an enterprise environment.
"Because most malware detection software is designed to find standard, known malware - and because standard, known malware represents the vast majority of enterprise malware - most organizations falsely believe they are finding and eliminating virtually all malware threats," Tubin wrote. "This is exactly what the advanced malware attackers want them to believe. While many organizations are satisfied with their malware detection statistics, this small sliver of advanced malware goes undetected and remains in position to cause devastating damage."
Advanced malware threatens data integrity
Those threats include zero-day malware strains, which can slip by perimeter defenses undetected and remain active within a company's system for months before being discovered. That gives hackers plenty of time to access sensitive assets and siphon off valuable information. To help combat advanced malware and keep enterprise environments secure, security teams should look to deploy sophisticated endpoint threat detection and response tools.
Businesses must have total oversight across their various endpoints to put themselves in the best position to quickly identify and remove a malware threat. Cybercriminals have a number of attack verticals to take advantage of when targeting a company, particularly as enterprise operations become more expansive and complicated. Tubin explained that individual laptops, for instance, can serve as gateways for hackers to enter the broader enterprise network. If a laptop connects to a unsecure point outside the network, it could easily be compromised. When that endpoint reconnects, it could bring external threats with it.
That is why security teams should make an honest assessment of where their greatest vulnerabilities lie and take concerted steps to address them. Continuous endpoint visibility solutions, for example, can be extremely beneficial for businesses concerned about having porous network defenses. Ultimately, an organization should customize its cybersecurity processes according to need and available resources.