The use of technology in today's world has brought with it an increase in cyber-attacks. The annual rate of attacks is surprisingly high, and the number of attacks is continuously increasing, with recent reports that a cyber-attack is launched every 39 seconds. Threat actors have latched onto the same technology that businesses use for cybersecurity and are automating their attacks to compromise networks, endpoints, and IT environments. Many companies are not yet prepared to deal with the volume and sophistication of today's automated threat landscape, making it difficult to anticipate where they may next be under attack.
A robust understanding of malicious automation and how to mitigate the risk it poses is a big step in working towards protecting your organization and mission-critical data.
What is malicious automation?
Most companies already have in place one of the many cybersecurity tools that automate processes, such as programs set up to scan and detect potential threats and alert the security operations team. Automation tools allow high volume data collection and processing, taking a task that would usually cost many human hours and reducing it to minutes, even seconds. These tools use technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to reduce the time it takes to detect threats and launch a response.
However, malicious actors are fighting fire with fire and using these same tools to find vulnerabilities in systems on a vast scale. Taking advantage of the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, cyber-attackers can aggressively hunt for vulnerabilities and increase the likelihood an executed attack will succeed.
Types of automated attacks can vary. Common automated cyber threats include:
Brute force attacks are simple and easily automated by malicious actors, with a high success rate. Other forms of automated attacks include social engineering (phishing), Trojan viruses, and malware.
Why is malicious automation a problem?
Cyber-attacks and data breaches rank first on the list of the top 10 risks for businesses of any industry and size. Organizations who are victims of cyberattacks can be devastated by the outcome. The consequences of data breaches can be long-term, particularly as it can take some businesses up to 9 months before a breach is even detected and contained. In the short term, services can be disrupted, and business reputation is lost.
How to prevent automated attacks on my business?
As the use of malicious automation increases, the risk of a cyber-attack or data breach for your organization also becomes more likely. An effective cybersecurity strategy is paramount to ensure all aspects of your IT environment are protected and constantly monitored to prevent potential threats and intrusions.
Many organizations are turning to managed security service providers (MSSPs) to gain the specialized expertise and knowledge needed that can be outside the scope of IT teams who are already tasked with maintaining day-to-day operations. MSSPs can identify security risks and deploy advanced security solutions such as automated technologies that are best suited to your unique business needs.
To ensure you have the most advanced threat intelligence and network protection service available, talk to the team of certified security experts at BCS365 and protect your business from malicious automated attacks.