Zurich, 24 March 2022 – What worries companies the most in 2022? Cyberthreats now top the list, ranking ahead of even business interruptions and natural disasters, as the most recent Allianz Risk Barometer shows. And for good reason: the Situation Report for Cybercrime 2020 published by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) shows another rise in cybercrime in 2020 compared with the previous year. And the trend is not letting up. Nevis, a Swiss specialist in identity and access management solutions, provides tips to help companies build a strong cybersecurity strategy.
The reasons for the ongoing rise in the number of cyberattacks worldwide are many and varied. For starters, they are a consequence of digitalisation, a growing trend that picked up even more speed as a result of the pandemic. What’s more, the culprits are becoming more professional and malware is getting harder to detect. Ransomware attacks remain an especially serious risk to companies and government entities. This attack method is seen as the greatest cyberthreat for the coming year by 57% of the respondents to the Allianz Risk Barometer. In this context, the rise of double extortion is a matter of special concern. With this technique, malicious actors don’t stop at encrypting data and demanding a ransom for decryption. They also steal the data at the same time and demand payment for its return. However, the victims have no guarantee that their data won’t be sold anyway. Ransomware is popular with cybercriminals mainly because it is cheap to use and requires no great technical skill.
Seven protective measures against cyberattacks
To protect against ransomware and other attack methods, companies should integrate the following points into their cybersecurity strategy:
- State-of-the-art solutions for areas such as endpoint security, protection against trojans and viruses, and the particularly sensitive login area are key in matters of cybersecurity.
- All data should be backed up offline regularly. That is the only way to keep data absolutely safe from online criminals.
- Operating systems and software should be updated regularly. Replace any products that no longer receive security support from the manufacturer.
- Be careful about clicking on any email attachments or links, especially when the attachments ask you to take particular actions like executing macros. It’s safer to enter links in the browser address bar instead.
- Some browser plugins have security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals take advantage of. It’s advisable to deactivate these plugins.
- All companies should consider an emergency backup plan in case of a successful cyberattack. Such a plan defines the responsibilities, chains of communication and processes. That helps to contain the damage.
- Companies are smart – especially in this era of remote work – to alert their staff to the growing danger of cyberattacks. Courses and security training are good ways to do that.
Generally speaking, when it comes to cybersecurity, no company can protect itself effectively with a one-time purchase. The number of attacks will continue to rise and cybercriminals will keep coming up with more sophisticated methods. Safeguarding company IT systems and data is one area where it’s vital to remain vigilant, watch the trends and when in doubt, put more countermeasures in place.
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About Nevis
Nevis develops security solutions for the digital world of tomorrow. Its portfolio includes passwordless logins that are intuitive to use and optimally protect user data. Nevis is the market leader in Switzerland for identity and access management services and secures over 80 per cent of all online banking transactions. Government agencies and leading service and industrial companies around the world rely on Nevis solutions. The authentication specialist has locations in Switzerland, Germany and Hungary.
Press contact
LEWIS Communications GmbH
Ingo Geisler
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40476 Düsseldorf, Germany
+49 (0)211 882 476 07
