On June 12, 2020, the US Secret Service sent out a security alert to both the private and government sector as a warning of the increasing breaches into IT companies. According to their Global Investigations Operations Center (GIOC), they have detected a significant increase in cyber attacks of IT companies which are then used as entry points for the networks of their customers.
Why are many IT companies getting hacked? Simply because cyber criminals can now see that many still employ unpatched networks vulnerable to exploits, including ransomware. Hackers are targeting IT companies via phishing campaigns and even utilizing ITSM tools. It's the low-hanging fruit which can prove enormously profitable if they gain access to customers and send them ransomware, as well.
As a result, choosing the correct IT company in 2020 is more important than ever. It's crucial to vet your IT company to determine if they're doing things right. Unfortunately, many IT companies have not updated their security protocols for years. The worst part is the bad actors can find a weak spot and lurk for weeks or even months before they deploy their ransomware.
Not to mention, even if the ransom demands are resolved - whatever the price may be - the remediation tasks of rebuilding, testing, backing up, and even public relations are not only expensive but also labor intensive. If your customers find out your systems have been breached, the loss of consumer trust, loyalty, and sales can be irreparable.
Yet, there are many IT companies who are not experts in cyber security and leave their systems unattended without up-to-date system patching. According to Bromium, cyber crime generates $1.5 trillion annually. In 2020, not only are cyber attacks more sophisticated but a hacking attack occurs every 39 seconds. Mix in AI bots, and you have a festering volcano ready to erupt and wreak havoc at any moment.
As a result, implementing the best cyber security protocols and technologies is a must. Further, the IT company you work with must be a cyber security expert in order to ensure any chance of survival in the digital era.
How can you ensure your IT company is the right one in this day in age? Here are a few tips:
- They employ state-of-the-art internal security operations systems.
- They should follow all best practices in terms of identifying and patching their environment continuously.
- They regularly search for and remove any software exploits.
- They can secure IoT devices end-to-end and practice cloud hygiene.
- Their data centers and networks are protected by enterprise-level security.
- They have updated incident plans in place.
As you can see, choosing the correct IT company in 2020 is more important than ever before. Whether there are threats from day-to-day cyber crime gangs, or state-sponsored bad actors, make sure you partner with an IT vendor who makes your cyber security their number one priority.
Reach out to us and see how we can help and ensure that your network is protected and running at full strength. Please stay safe at this scary time if any assistance is needed you can reach us at 201-402-1900 or email us at info@krsit.com.