INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
Trellix and CSIS find organizations outmatched by nation-state cyber threat actors
A report from Trellix and CSIS highlights increased government support is required to defend against sophisticated nation-states .
Trellix , the cybersecurity company delivering the future of extended detection and response ( XDR ), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies ( CSIS ) have released a global report , Crosshairs : Organizations and Nation- State Cyber Threats , examines security professionals ’ mindsets towards nation-state actors , the extent they are being targeted , how nation state actors differ from other cybercriminals and how they view the role of government in responding to attacks .
The report found Russia and China among the most likely suspects of being behind successful cyberattacks resulting in data loss , service disruption and industrial espionage , which led to significant costs to the organizations attacked .
“ As geopolitical tensions rise , the likelihood of nation-state cyberattacks rises as well ,” said Bryan Palma , CEO of Trellix . “ Cybersecurity talent shortages , outdated IT infrastructure and remote work are the greatest challenges in today ’ s operating environment . Organizations must improve their automation , remediation and resiliency capabilities to defend against increasingly sophisticated attacks .”
The report , written by CSIS and based on research conducted by Vanson Bourne , surveyed 800 IT decision makers from a variety of industries . It highlights the volume and severity of nation-state cyberattacks is a substantial problem for the international
community which organizations are looking to governments to help solve .
Bryan Palma , CEO , Trellix
Organization risk . Ninety-two percent of respondents have faced or suspect they have faced a nation-state backed cyberattack in the last 18 months or expect to face one in the future . The report also finds most organizations struggle to confidently and accurately determine if a cyberattack is linked to a nation-state given technical challenges and the efforts hackers go to hide their identity . Unlike cyber criminals , nationstate actors focus on conducting intelligence operations to gain intellectual property and data to serve an economic or military goal , while also leaving backdoors in organization infrastructure for re-entry . The risk to organizations is significant , with the average nation-state-backed cyberattack costing an estimated US $ 1.6 million per incident . Yet the report finds 10 % of organizations surveyed do not have a cybersecurity strategy .
Consumer impact . While access to consumer data was the motive for nearly half of reported state-backed incidents , only 33 % of organizations reported reaching out to their customers to disclose the incident . The respondents view personally identifiable information ( PII ) related to either their customers or employees – as one of the main factors they would be targeted ( 46 % and 40 % respectively ). As organizations prepare their cybersecurity strategies , risks to reputation and trust are at stake .
Transparency with end customers should be considered in addition to ensuring direct communication with cybersecurity vendors , partners and government agencies .
Government guidance . The report found 92 % of respondents were willing to share information about an attack , but not always the full details . Overall , organizations are looking to the government for guidance into how they can protect themselves while being hindered by a lack of breach disclosures .
Ninety percent of respondents think the government should do more to support and protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks . In the U . S , programs like the Cyber Safety Review Board , CISA ’ s Shield Up and the White House ’ s new Office of the National Cyber Director are examples of programs governments worldwide should continue to develop to help protect critical infrastructure . p
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