Ever since 2007 when the first samples were observed in the wild, QBot (also known as Qakbot or Pinkslipbot) suffered multiple transformations and mutations making it the most submitted malware family on multiple platforms that offer hosting for artifacts available to analyze.
In 2020, the FBI reported a whopping $2.7B as the cost of cybercrimes in just that year. While no business is immune to cybersecurity attacks, small and medium sized businesses are especially vulnerable. In a survey conducted with small to medium business owners in late 2021, 42% of business owners suffered a cyber-attack in the last year. Additionally, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 88% of small business owners feel their businesses are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
The shortage of qualified cybersecurity employees is one of today’s biggest cyber risks. How can small and midsized enterprises prioritize sufficient time and competencies on their IT security? Can the possibility of having a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) on retainer be the effective way of safeguarding and managing IT security?
Every organization in the United States is at risk of cyber-attacks that can disrupt corporate operations as a result of possible collateral incidents from cyber operations related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a recent release from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), CISA Director Jen Easterly stated:
“We need to be prepared for the potential of foreign influence operations to negatively impact various aspects of our critical infrastructure with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine geopolitical tensions. We encourage leaders at every organization to take proactive steps to assess their risks from information manipulation and mitigate the impact of potential foreign influence operations.”
Today, security teams are short-staffed, network complexity continues to increase, and the cost of data breaches is on the rise. And the majority of all cyber-attacks happen to small businesses and midmarket enterprises. When it comes to cybersecurity, these IT teams have the toughest job out there. XDR is a combination of services and technology that offers an opportunity to reverse these trends, so let’s take a deeper look into how today’s challenges can be eliminated with this next-generation solution.
The majority of cyber-attacks happen to small businesses and midsize enterprises. With the average cost of a cyber-attack close to a quarter of a million dollars, it is not surprising many businesses close within 6-months of a cyber-attack.
According to a survey of managed service providers for SMEs, only 30 percent felt that ransomware was a critical threat, perhaps indicating an attitude that it only affects larger corporations. Smaller businesses may, in fact, be more at risk because of several key factors.
There is a vast digital crime wave unleashing against public and private sector organizations around the world.
The rise of crimeware, also known as software designed to commit a crime, is so significant that analysts predict the global market could reach a value of $10.5 trillion as soon as 2025.
Ransomware has enjoyed a renaissance as of late. Cring, REvil, Ryuk, Maze, and Conti all make international headlines and are tied to high-profile exploit attempts at market-leading companies worldwide.