Unraveling the Myth: The Illusion of Staying Ahead of Hackers

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In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, a persistent myth prevails: the notion that organizations can stay ahead of hackers. This narrative, while seemingly logical, fosters a dangerous illusion that can leave organizations ill-prepared for the inevitable security threats they face.

The truth is far more nuanced. Hackers are often fueled by financial gain, personal notoriety, or state-backed agendas, possess an inherent advantage: the element of surprise. They constantly innovate, exploiting novel vulnerabilities and devising sophisticated social engineering tactics to bypass even the most robust defenses.

However, the software security industries are continually responding to the risks and vulnerabilities that hackers uncover resulting in major breaches and data loss; thus, it is untrue to assume that companies can stay one step ahead of hackers. These organizations work to stop hackers from taking advantage of the found application flaws by either creating new programs or updating existing software making it more secure. So, in any case, since the software security sector is unable to foresee what novel risks hackers may release, Hackers will always be one step ahead.

And, the term Zero-day exploit perfectly fits here. It is a kind of vulnerability in a system or device or a software that has been disclosed to the adversaries but is not yet patched. Threat actors exploit such vulnerabilities to gain maximum advantage from the system.

Why You Can’t Stay One Step Ahead of Adversaries

The harsh reality of cybersecurity industry is that it’s the hackers who are ahead of the game.

The Flawed Analogy of a Race: Cybersecurity is not a linear race with a clear finish line. Hackers don’t need to invent entirely new attack methods every time; they can exploit existing vulnerabilities with readily available tools. This constant game of whack-a-mole makes it nearly impossible to definitively “stay ahead.”

  • The Illusion of Perfect Defense: Even with the most robust security measures, achieving perfect defense is an unrealistic fantasy. Zero-day vulnerabilities, human error, and the ever-evolving nature of cyber threats make it inevitable that breaches will occur.
  • The Insider Threat: Traditional security measures often focus on external threats, neglecting the risk posed by malicious insiders. Disgruntled employees, for instance, can exploit their access privileges to inflict significant damage.

Before we see what organizations should do to at least protect themselves, Let’s check out some of the studies done by experts that will help us to understand more about why industries cannot stay one step ahead of hackers.

IBM: “First of all, perform a gap analysis. Invite our professional services and ask us to come and perform a vulnerability assessment on [your] public Web sites and internally. Second, deploy security controls and measures within the organization to understand exactly what kind of vulnerabilities you have. Deploy, as fast as possible, our intelligence platform. It’s going to give all the information that is needed to mitigate and understand what kind of security risk you hold today and to help you prepare for future attacks.”

Future of Tech: “Every business should have a robust incident response plan and test it regularly. Consumer confidence and the share price can fall if a breach is handled badly. There are massive skill gaps in the cyber security industry, so it is good to see more universities offering relevant courses and companies offering apprenticeships to increase expertise.” Summary of the article reads.

Trustwave: They say “Look for Vulnerabilities Like a Hacker Would …. Adopt a Multi-Layered Defense Strategy …. Remember, knowledge is power. The intelligence exists to outsmart the hackers repeatedly, and the good guys can, and do, win.”

Valley News: According to a report, Valley News published that Sixty-Five percent of the cybersecurity officials from Department of Defense (DoD), civilian and intelligence agencies “disagreed with the idea that the federal government as a whole can detect cyber-attacks while they’re happening.”

University of Maryland’s Clark: An American School, the University of Maryland’s Clark conducted an annual report, which was one of the 1st studies made to quantify the nearly constant rate of hacker attacks on the computers with Internet access and revealed that cyber-attacks happened in every 39 seconds on average, were affecting one in three. The study also found that using weak usernames and passwords increases the likelihood of success for the attackers.

Now, take a look at some of the stats on cybersecurity threats,

For a fact, do you know that 64% of businesses have been the target of online attacks, where Phishing and social engineering attacks being the most popular cyber threats experienced by 62%. Malicious code and botnets were encountered by 59% of the organizations, and denial-of-service assaults affected 51% of the companies.

Attacking a small firm or group these days is simple. A DDOS assault against a company can be easily initiated by using specific websites. Since 2013 there have been 3,809,448 records stolen from breaches every day 3,809,448 cyber-attacks today, 158,727 per hour, 2,645 per minute and 44 every second of every day. The threat that persists today is not because of the professional hackers that are aiming to steal the data or credentials, it’s because of the script kiddies who use various scripts available on the internet to cause disruption of business objectives.

Malware has infiltrated more than 75% of the healthcare sector in the past year. Seven hundred healthcare organizations were studied, including hospitals, insurance providers, and manufacturers of medical supplies.

However, there are websites like Threatmap that can be used to visualize the amount of cyberattacks that take place around the world in a minute. According to the sources, the top targeted industries for hackers to do cyberattacks are Education, Government and Healthcare. While the Malwares that are used most are Phishing, Adware’s, and Trojans.

What do these numbers indicate?

Last year, Ginni Rometty, IBM’s Chair President and CEO said, “Cybercrime is the greatest threat to every company in the world.” And she was right, there is a significant increase in cybercrime in comparison to last year’s data. New cyber threats are brought about by developing technology, and our protection is lacking. It is imperative for all individuals in all businesses across all industries to have a comprehensive understanding of cyber terminology, network security attacks, risks, and possibilities.

Cornell University published a study which stated that in cyberspace, the offense always has the upper hand. These words were written in 2010 by Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, which reflect the wisdom of cyber security professionals, military officers and policymakers.

Every day, businesses encounter risk and it’s essential for the companies to maintain continuity of their business, particularly in the age of digitalization.

Risk assessment and Gap analysis is one of the first steps in the crucial process of risk management. Your organization is vulnerable to challenges if you fail to evaluate your risks and manage them effectively.A well-executed risk assessment procedure supports your business objectives and lowers risks in an economical manner.

Some of the questions which are posed by hackers or industry led cybersecurity professionals are,

  • How can any organization successfully analyze risks in a world where the business environment is changing so quickly due to competition, regulations, new gadgets, and applications?
  • In a situation where their opponents possess far more financial, time, and technical resources than they have, how can they defend themselves?
  • In situations where not just the bad guys but also their own government, “trusted” service providers, and even their own employees pose a threat, how can they defend themselves?

While staying ahead of hackers entirely may be an illusion, organizations can significantly bolster their defenses by adopting a proactive approach. Also, instead of chasing an unwinnable race, organizations should adopt a resilient security posture.

So, what should organizations do?

The Only Practical solution for every company who wants to protect their digital Assests, is “Don’t Trust Anyone”.

It’s critical to tackle cybersecurity with a realistic perspective, even though the goal of staying ahead of hackers may seem like an impossible ideal. By focusing on risk management, flexibility, cooperation, and human aspects, establishments can construct robust security barriers that can efficiently alleviate the always changing array of threats. Instead, then striving for the unattainable goal of always being “ahead,” firms should try to be proactive, flexible, and resilient when it comes to cyber threats. Moreover, cybersecurity presents both a technological and a human problem. Humans are frequently the weakest link in the security chain, accidentally falling victim to social engineering schemes or committing security blunders because of ignorance or insufficient training. Organizations can enable staff to take an active role in the fight against cyber threats by funding extensive cybersecurity education and awareness programs.

Other solutions that organization can implement to protect their data are:
  1. Using Multi-Factor Authentication: Before allowing access to a system or application, users must submit two or more forms of authentication through the security measure known as multi-factor authentication (MFA). These factors fall into 3 categories:
  • Something you know: Knowledge-based authentication methods, such passwords, PINs, and security questions, are a part of this element.
  • Something you have: To qualify for this element, you must be in possession of a tangible object, like a smart card, security key, or smartphone.
  • Something you are: This aspect relates to biometric authentication, which includes facial recognition, iris scanning, and fingerprint scanning.

  1. Threat monitoring: It offers real-time visibility into potential security threats and weaknesses; it is essential for organizations to stay one step ahead of hackers.
  • Early Detection of suspicious activities: Organizations can take proactive measures to avert potential security breaches by identifying anomalous changes in system behavior, strange patterns of activity, or illegal access attempts.
  • Real Time Incident Response: Threat monitoring gives security personnel real-time warnings and notifications in the event of a security crisis, allowing them to react quickly and efficiently.

  1. Patch Management and Security Updates: Update your software, systems, and apps using the most recent security fixes. Hackers may take advantage of security holes in out-of-date software to obtain unwanted access.
  1. Implement Least Privilege Access: Restrict user access permissions to just those required for their roles and duties. Limit the scope of administrative privileges to lower the danger of assaults that escalate privileges and insider threats.
  1. Prioritization and Segmentation: Identifying and prioritizing critical assets, and implementing segmentation strategies to limit the impact of a breach.

The notion of staying ahead of hackers is a misleading and potentially dangerous myth. By understanding the limitations of this approach and adopting a resilient security posture, organizations can better prepare for the inevitable and focus on minimizing the impact of cyberattacks. Remember, cybersecurity is a continuous journey, not a destination. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation, organizations can build a more secure future.

Discover how Ampcus Cyber can help to Mitigate Risks

Partnering with a trusted cybersecurity expert like Ampcus Cyber can prove invaluable. Ampcus Cyber offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to help organizations:

  1. Identify and assess vulnerabilities: Ampcus Cyber’s team of security experts can conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify potential weaknesses in your systems and networks. 
  2. Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM): Ampcus Cyber helps organizations assess and manage the security risks associated with their vendors and partners, a critical step in securing the entire digital ecosystem.
  3. Cybersecurity Assessments and Audits: Ampcus Cyber conducts thorough security assessments and audits to identify vulnerabilities and recommend remediation strategies, ensuring your defenses remain effective.
  4. Security Awareness Training: Ampcus Cyber provides training programs that empower employees to recognize and resist cyber threats, forming a human firewall against social engineering attacks.

By partnering with Ampcus Cyber, organizations can gain access to the expertise and resources they need to build a resilient cybersecurity posture and effectively mitigate the risks posed by ever-evolving cyber threats.

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