The frequency and severity of cyber-attacks on businesses continues to rise, according to a recent survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Juniper Networks.
Of 1,000 U.S. IT professionals surveyed, 84 percent revealed that they had been victim of a cyber-attack, and close to 60 percent reported that their organizations were faced with multiple network breaches in the last year. Almost half (43 percent) of respondents reported a notable spike in the frequency of attacks, and 77 percent indicated the breaches continue to become increasingly difficult to detect and contain.
These statistics leave more than a third of the individuals surveyed doubting the ability of their organizations’ IT infrastructure to prevent a network security breach.
“Our survey research provides evidence that many organizations are ill-equipped to prevent cyber attacks against networks and enterprise systems,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute. “This study suggests conventional network security methods need to improve in order to curtail internal and external threats.”
Seventy-six percent of respondents recommended simplifying and streamlining network security operations to help prevent future attacks, and three quarters suggested implementing comprehensive end-to-end solutions at all points in their organization’s network.
Mobile devices and laptops are of particular concern, as they pose the greatest risk as potential entry points through which hackers access networks and strike with viruses. Of the cyber-attacks reported, 29 percent originated from mobile devices and 34 percent from laptops.
These types of security breaches come with a hefty price tag, having reportedly cost the majority of organizations an estimated half a million dollars in lost revenues, revenue losses, cash outlays, and other expenses. The most critical result of any cyber-attack was information assets, followed closely by business disruption.