Healthcare, Retail, and Finance: Gen V Attacks Affect All Industries

Fifth generation mega-attacks have changed the cyber security landscape forever.  As proven by the WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks last year, using vulnerabilities and exploit tools stolen from intelligence agencies, attackers can now cause economic chaos across all industries around the world.

From finance to healthcare to manufacturing, almost all organizations across all industries worldwide are now connected to the internet in some shape and form and therefore at risk of attack.

With hundreds of billions of dollars transferred over computer networks every day, cyber-attacks in the world of finance are almost certain. The rise of crypto currency values in 2017 also encouraged the huge increase of attacks on the online exchanges that facilities their trade. One such attack was that seen on the NiceHash mining platform that saw $70 million stolen late last year.

In retail, when 20% of shoppers say they would never return to a store that had been hit by a cyber-attack, it’s a threat that can not be taken lightly.

As thousands or even millions of credit cards and consumer identities are now housed deep within a retailer’s IT network, criminals have good reason to expend their efforts in targeting them. And when one in three retailers has already been hit, you should be working hard to make sure you are not next.

From a cyber-security perspective though, perhaps the most vulnerable industry is healthcare, which not only treats vulnerable people but is itself extremely vulnerable.

Several traits make it the perfect target for attackers. For one, it holds highly valuable information such as social security numbers, billing information and private medical data of millions of people. It also has large IT infrastructures which run on different operating systems and multiple software, which, from an IT perspective, can at times be archaic. Healthcare systems and infrastructure is also often hard to update and maintain, leaving them without proper protections.

As part of an industry that the public relies upon to literally save their lives, healthcare providers are easy targets for extortion. The risk of having sensitive information leaked or medical procedures shut down is not an option.

All organizations across all industries worldwide are now at risk. To find out more about how fifth generation mega-attacks affect your industry, get the 2018 Security Report and arm yourself with the facts and knowledge to help justify your next cyber security budget request.

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