The Threat Landscape for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses in 2012
Up next in our security predictions series is Austin-based Quarri. VP of Marketing Laurie Coffin discusses the threats SMB’s may face in 2012.
Quarri's VP of Marketing, Laurie Coffin
Today’s threat landscape is constantly evolving and 2011 has been a year many won’t soon forget after some of the biggest companies in the world disclosed breaches to critical data residing on their networks.
And it’s not just the big companies being targeted any longer. Small-to-medium sized businesses are increasingly being targeted. They are typically focused on growing their business, and as a result, rarely have a full IT staff that can effectively manage the information security of the entire organization, especially as it relates to data protection. These issues are compounded when you consider the use of mobile devices, growth in cloud computing and Consumerization of IT, also known as the ‘Bring Your Own Device’ phenomenon.
Cybercriminals also have a treasure trove of proprietary consumer information available in a few short clicks via social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Spear phishing campaigns, “likejacking” on Facebook and shortened URLs are just some of the techniques we’ve seen over the past year and we can expect these approaches to get more sophisticated as we enter 2012.
To avoid becoming the next data breach headline, organizations of all sizes need to remember that the end user is one of the weakest links when it comes to information security. And not all attacks are external; a malicious or careless employee can cause significant damage to an organization if security precautions are not in place to prevent replication of your confidential information.
In 2012, vigilance is important as attacks to networks and mobile devices will grow in number and sophistication.
Posted by Bill Keeler on December 19, 2011 at 2:05 PM
