On p34 we look at the ways in which home networks and personal devices are most likely to be attacked in 2024. But what about businesses? You might assume that cybercriminals would focus their attentions on the biggest organisations – after all, those are the ones best able to afford huge ransoms. In fact, smaller companies can and do get attacked all the time.
“Regardless of the size of the business,” said Matt Cooke, strategist at cybersecurity specialist Proofpoint, “if they have a bank account, or sensitive information to steal, they are very much at risk.” Proofpoint’s researchers have found that 72% of organisations with fewer than 500 employees have dealt with a material loss of sensitive information within the past 12 months (see proofpoint.com for more information).
Indeed, small and medium-sized businesses are prime targets for malicious actors. Recent research from cybersecurity specialist Trellix (trellix.com) reveals that companies with between 51 and 200 employees are the most common victims of ransomware campaigns, representing a third of all attacks in Q1 2023.
“Smaller, less prominent organisations often lack the resources to implement robust security measures, either from a financial or skill-based standpoint,” explained Trellix VP Fabien Rech.
To protect your company and data, therefore, it’s vital to be aware of the threats you’re likely to encounter, and to
