Most Businesses Are Potential Targets for Nation-State Cyberattacks

Almost two-thirds of tech security professionals (64 percent) believe their organisations are potential targets for nation-state cyberattacks, a Tripwire study has revealed.

In addition, 86 percent of the respondents have seen an increase in targeted attacks directed at their networks over the last year.

No confidence

Despite the noticeable increase in attacks, less than half of the respondents (47 percent) said confidence in their organisations’ ability to detect and respond to a cyberattack rose in the last 12 months. Tripwire, a provider of advanced threat, security and compliance solutions, had surveyed 215 attendees at the recent Black Hat USA 2015 security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Additional survey findings include:

– Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of respondents said targeted attacks against their networks have increased over the last year by 20 percent or more.

– More than half (53 percent) of respondents said they do not have the visibility necessary for accurate tracking of all the threats targeting their networks.

– 41 percent of respondents said they have seen a significant increase in the number of successful cyberattacks in the last 12 months.

Tim Erlin, director of IT security and risk strategy for Tripwire, said: “Organisations know they are being actively targeted and that their current capabilities aren’t enough to consistently detect and defend against these attacks.

“While new defensive technologies are constantly being developed organisations are hard pressed to deploy these new tools effectively. In many cases, these organisations would do well to evaluate their investment in foundational security controls.

“Although these controls are not new, they are the backbone of effective breach detection and response.”

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