The global cyber threat landscape is evolving, and cybercriminals are putting more pressure than ever before on organizations to update their defenses, according to the "2019 Cyber Threatscape Report" from Accenture.
Accenture cited five factors in its report that are influencing the global cyber threat landscape:
1. New threats are emerging from disinformation and technology advancements
Cybercriminals are increasingly using high-profile global events to launch sophisticated cyberattacks. However, organizations that perform geopolitical analyses can understand the events that motivate cyberattacks and plan accordingly.
2. Cybercriminals are looking and acting like states
Conventional cybercrime and financially motivated, targeted cyberattacks pose significant risks to organizations. Meanwhile, many cybercriminals are forming close-knit syndicates to identify victims before delivering malware, as well as selling and buying direct access to networks for ransomware delivery.
3. Hybrid motives affect ransomware defense and response
In addition to financial motivations, cybercriminals are launching ransomware attacks based on ideological or political motivations. Regardless of the reasons behind ransomware attacks, organizations must allocate time and resources to prepare for these attacks.
4. Cybersecurity hygiene improvements drive new supply chain threats
Improvements to basic cybersecurity hygiene are leading cybercriminals to explore new ways to attack organizations. In some instances, cybercriminals are targeting organizations' supply chains. As such, organizations should perform security assessments to analyze their security posture and identify ways to guard against supply chain attacks.
5. Compute cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities require costly solutions
Side-channel vulnerabilities in modern CPUs pose a high risk to organizations running their compute infrastructure in the public cloud. Mitigations are available to address these vulnerabilities, but they often increase compute costs. Thus, organizations must understand the threats posed by CPU vulnerabilities so they can design a proper risk mitigation strategy.
MSSPs can help organizations plan ahead for cyberattacks, too. In fact, MSSPs can provide tips and recommendations to help organizations guard against cyber threats, as well as ensure these organizations can optimize their security posture.
