The 2017 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index reported more than 4 billion records leaked in 2016, a number that was more than the combined total of the previous 2 years. A recent article from IBM’s Security Intelligence blog calculated the losses at more than $630 billion. The most frequently breached industries in 2016 were, at the top, information and communications, followed by government, financial services, media and entertainment, and professional services.
It might be tempting to believe that major data breaches are a thing of the past, however, we know that they are becoming even more prevalent—and the cyber attackers are shifting focus on stealing valuable data and intellectual property.
For example, The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reporting on the growing threat to data security at colleges and universities:
“If hackers get into a college’s network, they can gather terabytes of research data or emails to sift for possible profit. ‘It might take years to look at it,’ said Mitchel Davis, chief information officer at Bowdoin College, ‘but they want to get a hold of it.’”
In this climate, it is critical for every organization large and small, no matter the industry, to look closely at its current defense against data breaches. Is your network protected? Is your network security proactive, detecting threats before they cause a problem? If you do incur an attack, how long will it take to respond and get your network back up to speed?
If you cannot answer these questions with confidence, it is time to talk to CHI Corporation about our data security solutions.
