In a recent survey of almost 200 security professionals at the recent Black Hat 2013 found that companies of all types are already at risk of becoming victims of state sponsored cyber attacks, and it’s only going to get worse going forward. 58% responded that they feel industry security professionals are losing the battle against state-sponsored cyber attacks. A startling 96% reported that they believe it is going to get worse in the coming years.
Another concerning statistic is that 74% of companies reported that they don’t know whether or not their IT security has been breached, and nearly 63% believe they will be likely targets in the next six months. As countries around the world continue to ramp up their cyber warfare efforts, the situation is only likely to get worse. This is certainly bad news for marketers because cyber attacks often target a wide variety of different economic sectors, and websites are a major place of attack.
In addition, many tools used in cyber attacks require thousands or even millions of computers, servers and other devices to be infected with malware. These types of attacks are often spread through infected websites, including those hosted with Word Press and other content management systems. Of course, Word Press and web hosting companies are always trying to stay a step ahead of attackers, but this is very difficult. Especially when many site owners and marketers don’t keep their sites up to date.
Another reason this is of particular concern to marketers is because these types of attacks can severely tarnish their reputation. If, for example, a marketer’s website is infected with malware, Google will often put up a notification to visitors that the site’s integrity may be compromised. Anyone who happens to come across your site will likely turn away, and won’t be as likely to trust the site again in the future. Of course, this is just one of many risks the average marketer is facing against these state-sponsored attacks, not to mention the ‘normal’ viruses, malware and other issues.
What are your thoughts on this concerning issue? Have you been impacted by cyber attacks (state-sponsored or otherwise)? If so, what impact did it have on your business? Please, share below.
