Security Breach: The Little Things that Continue to Be Cyber Killers

It all starts with basic, access-limiting strategies that must evolve as hackers get more sophisticated.

As the saying goes, it’s the little things that kill. And in cybersecurity, that little thing can be as innocent as a singular mouse click on the wrong URL from a familiar-looking email.

A recent report from Trend Micro shows that 75 percent of all cyberattacks start with phishing emails – or messages made to look like a non-threatening communication from a colleague, vendor or trusted source, but containing links meant to abstract vital personal data.

Additionally, research from Cybertalk.org states that about 90 percent of data breaches are the result of phishing schemes, and the FBI is projecting a year-over-year increase of 400 percent for these types of attacks. Finally, cybersecurity software and services provider Mimecast found that 96 percent of respondents to their survey acknowledged having faced some form of phishing attack in the past year.

The key is to not associate the tool too closely with the evil intentions of hackers. Email remains a highly efficient and vitally important communication tool – but one that requires greater diligence than in the past. 

Joining us to discuss this situation is Fleming Shi, Chief Technology Officer at Barracuda Networks, a leading provider of data security products and services. For more information on the work Barracuda does, you can go to barracuda.com

To catch up on past episodes, you can check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore, you can reach Jeff Reinke at [email protected].



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