Hacker or Cyber-criminal?

It appears top companies have more to do in innovating their online security…. According to a Cyber Security report by BAE Systems, Eight-in-ten companies believe that cyber criminals are innovating at a quicker pace than their security measures. The report also surprisingly found that many firms are confident about the traditional tools that they use, such as firewalls, anti-virus programs and web filters. Unfortunately, with the cyber criminals innovating at a faster rate, they are probably just as confident. In hacking them that is. The report backs this up, saying “such a high degree of confidence in existing defence systems is surprising“, and that “it suggests that the reality and impact of the threat are not visible to business or that attacks are already happening below the radar of their traditional defences.” With the current prominence of cyber hacking fresh in the public conscious, is this ‘surprising’ confidence in security measures justified? What with Wikileaks stealing information from the U.S government and its supporters involved in crashing the site of MasterCard, can other companies really get by with nonchalance in the face of such threats? The same BAE Systems’ report also commented that at boardroom level, most companies are generally in the dark over how their IT team function as a vital part of the business. A surprising admission faced with such a widespread and current problem. “The assumption appears to be that ‘it won’t happen to me’. However, the reality is that cyber attacks are prevalent, and they are passing through traditional defences that people have been led to believe will protect them.” With the cost to business and the high risk to the consumer, let’s hope that the business world (and international governments) take the threat of cyber criminals as seriously as their crimes. In a digital age, cyber criminals are here to stay and it is up to businesses to innovate and protect the consumer. They have been warned.