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And even as IT and security executives are struggling to keep their organizations safe from attack, new trends are emerging in hacking and cyber security.
According to the new "Cyber Risk Report 2016" by HPE Security, more than 80% of open-source and commercial applications have security feature vulnerabilities that can lead to serious consequences such as data breaches.
1. Growth of collateral damages from security attacks.
Recent data breaches have resulted in more than just the theft of personal data such as credit-card numbers; they have potentially affected some people's reputations by releasing damaging information and conversations, according to the HPE Security report.
For example, both the United States Office of Personnel Management and the Ashley Madison breaches affected people who never had direct contact with either organization, and whose information was stored in their networks only as it related to other people. The lesson for technology and security leaders is that data breaches are no longer just about stealing financial information, but about capturing information that can have a significant effect on people's lives.
2. The rise of mobile malware.
This is particularly true for Android malware. Attacks against mobile devices have become a big source of revenue for intruders, especially as more devices are connected through the Internet of Things.
Android threats, malware, and potentially unwanted applications continued to grow last year. There were more than 10,000 new threats discovered daily, for a total year-over-year increase of 153%. The top malware families are designed to obtain financial benefits for attackers by installing unwanted components, sending or stealing SMS messages, or stealing confidential information.
As for iOS, 2015 saw the first major compromise of applications uploaded to the App Store. This is a consequence of an attacker's modification of Apple's Xcode programming environment, which was shared among many developers in China, the report notes. This resulted in a malicious information-stealing component, known as XcodeGhost, being included with more than 4,000 apps published to the App Store by legitimate developers of IOS apps.
3. Emergence of new cybersecurity legislation and regulations.
As the report notes, shifting politics and cross-border agreements pose potential challenges for companies, and agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Defense are poised to play an increasing role in ensuring
IT and security executives will need to address these trends to protect their organizations from intrusions and safeguard customer and employee data.
Click here to learn more about the biggest trends in cybersecurity.
-Written by Bob Violino
This post is sponsored by HPE Security.
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