Today the National Cyber Security Centre revealed that it has issued 34 million cyber alerts in the past year alone. With attacks on the rise, Information security experts argue that AI-enabled strategies must become the beating heart of security measures, if organisations wish to protect their identities, both human and machine, from evolving cyber threats.
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Following the news that the NCSC has dealt with more than 60 significant cyber-attacks in the past year, business leaders should take heed and implement the correct tools to protect their systems. It is imperative organisations put in place and update their security infrastructure constantly, as one chink in the armour could lead to a killer blow for the entire organisation. “With the corporate communication channels and the jump in their use due to the pandemic, organisations are grappling with how to secure their networks. Cyber criminals have built an impressive arsenal of weapons over recent years. Consequently, the job is only getting harder for businesses.
Hacking for hire has been a growing business for years but the move away from underground dark web forums to open channels such as Telegram and social media has really propelled this into a new era. Learning to hack at this level can take time and effort yet effortlessly purchasing these services anonymously is far too an easy option for those seeking it. Therefore, it means businesses need to up their game once more to reduce the risk of a sophisticated attack. Simple techniques through extra layers of security and two factor authentication are a must but extra awareness training for all staff is required to remind them to be extra vigilant at all times helps with these growing attempts.
34 million cyber alerts in the past year shows just how relentless cyber criminals are in their pursuit of sensitive information. “Ransomware, phishing and targeted social engineering attacks are all on the rise and increasing in sophistication. But many of these, at their root, come down to some sort of compromised identity, with user access points often targeted.
The NCSC’s early warning service has already made a huge impact when it comes to bringing threats to the attention of UK organisations. But leveraging AI-enabled identity security helps them be in the drivers’ seat. Clearly seeing, understanding, and managing who has access to what, and why, and then properly securing that access, can go a long way in avoiding a breach or compromise. Given how prevalent these attacks are today, businesses should put identity security at the core of their security efforts.