Who is to Blame for Cyber Attacks?

The most discussed cybersecurity topics of the month at a glance.

GDPR brings new type of attack

Silicon angle on June 24, 2018

The introduction of the GDPR turned out to be a worthy challenge for cyber criminals who have been provoked into finding new ways to obtain data. However, the ingenuity of adversaries should be reckoned with. Thus, a new type of blackmailing, called “ransomhack”, was brought into existence.

In contrast to ransomware attacks, criminals do not encrypt stolen data. Instead, they threaten to disclose it unless a ransom is paid.

Under the GDPR, companies can face huge penalties for not having data secured properly. Disclosure of stolen data would practically mean non-compliance. Paying ransom entails its own risks, like follow-up ransom demands as well as GDPR-related fines for not reporting a breach.

Negligent employees are the main risk factor

IBTimes on June 24, 2018

A new study has revealed that U.S. business leaders think of their employees as yet another risk factor. One of the major risks is careless employees. Approximately 47 percent of respondents claimed human error led to a data breach in their organization.

Inexperience makes imperfect

IT Portal on June 24, 2018

As a new Centrify survey claims, young employees appear to care less about cybersecurity. Thus becoming the main culprit for cybersecurity incidents.

“Newcomers” tend to share their passwords with colleagues and not to change the default ones. Junior employees’ social media activity of the junior employees is yet another concern for their seniors, as it may harm a company’s image.

However, young people are not the only ones to blame for potential risks. Companies must have the right security policies in place, regulate access to sensitive data, and holding security trainings for their employees.

The point to take home: organizations should tighten their security policies.