2019 Cybersecurity Forecast for Kansas Businesses
Many will not recover from a successful attack.
20% of small to mid-sized organizations (SMBs) that experienced a successful ransomware infiltration had to cease business operations immediately, and 12% lost revenue (State of Ransomware, Malwarebytes and Osterman Research).
57% of SMBs experienced nine or more hours of downtime from a successful ransomware infiltration. Some organizations were down for more than 100 hours because of the infection (State of Ransomware, Malwarebytes and Osterman Research).
7 in 10 customers would consider leaving a business (e.g., their financial institution, healthcare provider) if it were hit by ransomware (Carbon Black 2017 Ransom Aware survey).
Cloud insecurity
Cloud insecurity grew in 2018 and, unfortunately, it will carry on growing even more in 2019. Increasing amounts of data are being deployed from Kansas businesses, with more and more of that data ending up unsecured. Despite the continual publicity around repeated breaches, the majority of organizations do not have good housekeeping deployed and enforced across their whole data estate in the cloud.
Single factor passwords – the dark ages
As if we need the repetition, single-factor passwords are one of the simplest possible keys to the kingdom (helped by failure to manage network privileges once breached). Simple passwords are the key tool for attack vectors, from novice hackers right the way up to nation-state players. And yet they still remain the go-to security protection for the majority of organizations, despite the low cost and ease of deployment of multi-factor authentication solutions. Sadly, password theft and password-based breaches will persist as a daily occurrence in 2019.
Malware - protect or fail
Ransomware, crypto mining, banking Trojans and VPN filters are some of the key malware challenges that continue to threaten businesses and consumers. A mix of threats varies during the year, but the end result of malware threats will be a bad 2019. Increasing sophistication will be seen in some areas such as ransomware, alongside new malware approaches and increased volumes of malware in other areas.
Shift in attack vectors will drive cyber hygiene growth
The ongoing shift of attack vectors, from the network to the user, is causing a reappraisal of how to manage security. Many Kansas small to mid-size businesses are recognizing, perhaps belatedly, that their users are their weakest link. Not only is there a greater awareness of the insider threat from malicious current and ex-staff, but there is also a growing recognition that staff cyber awareness and training is a crucial step in securing this vulnerable area. The response from organizations will take the form of cyber education, coupled with testing, measuring, and monitoring staff cyber behavior.
Protecting Kansas businesses in 2019
We know small to medium size Kansas businesses simply cannot afford a serious breach of data. To ensure your company is protected, Century Dynamic Technology Solutions specializes in cost-effective firewall, disaster recovery, multi-authentication and secure cloud solutions across the state of Kansas. Request a free cybersecurity assessment today!
