For quite a long time now, a great number of CEOs and C-level executives were viewing the spending on IT infrastructure and cybersecurity as a necessary evil. They were trying to minimize the IT budget as much as possible to avoid unnecessary spending. Even the IT security was on the sidelines because the thinking many times was that the danger is not really real. And that it does not really effect the bottom line, so we might as well deal with it later when we will not be so busy with growing the business.
One of the feelings supporting this attitude is that it is thought to be quite a difficult task to hack into the company network – and the chances to be specifically targeted were not very high.
Unfortunately, those days are over. With the rise of the Hacking-as-a-Service tools that can be purchased for as little as $19.90, hoping that your company will not be targeted is not a viable strategy anymore.
Where as in the past the number of skilled hackers that could get through your cybersecurity defenses was relatively low, the tools that are available today can give a lame person off the street ready-to-use tools to get into your IT systems. And not only are those tools ready to be used they even come with a somewhat professional service level agreement from their developers. So that the attackers have a guaranteed success rate available to them.
One of the most recent examples of such tools is AlienSpy, which disables the Antivirus and User Account Controls functionality and roams undetected around your networks and data storages.
A number of companies are therefore employing a hybrid approach to their cybersecurity which adds the element of professional cybersecurity services dedicated to use the latest tools and techniques to discover the latest Advanced Persistent Threats. Such services can be only 4-5% of the total IT budget and work as cybersecurity guards that greatly increase your cybersecurity posture and keep the employees honest.
Maros Mozola is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of LIFARS LLC, an international cybersecurity and digital forensics firm. Maros has been in the cyber security space since 2003 and is known for his ability to present complex issues in a simple to understand manner. He has over a decade of experience in global channel IT development and over three years of experience in software development. As a Senior Vice President of ESET, Maros was able to increase the channel sales 50-fold in 5 years, along with expanding the partner network from 23 countries to 180. He helped a number of IT security companies dramatically increase their channel reach and sales, as well. Maros is known for creating channel partner loyalty and trust, and being able to work with partners across nations and cultures.
