Cyber attacks are escalating, and the damage they inflict is growing exponentially. Attacks that penetrate business systems cause financial impacts, data loss and breaches, disruption of operations, and long-term reputational damage. The consequences of an incident are far-reaching, and often include the need to divert resources from growth and innovation.
Malware – malicious software that can damage computer systems or steal data – is one of the most common and impactful cyber threats. It can target endpoint hardware and software (client computers, mobile devices, or even printers), cloud infrastructure, or IoT devices such as industrial sensors or smart doorbell cameras. It can also be used in targeted attacks against people or things, such as ransomware (which encrypts data and holds it hostage), scareware, or distributed denial of service attacks (which overwhelm a website with superfluous requests from a botnet).
Attackers seek to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers or passwords. They can use phishing to trick individuals into sharing this data, or they can hack into a company’s system and steal it directly. Attacks on the Internet of Things, such as those that compromised the server for shipping giant CMA CGM in 2024, allow criminals to take control of connected devices like thermostats or cars and shut them down.
Threats from nation-states and their proxies are growing in sophistication and impact. They can disrupt critical infrastructure, steal intellectual property and innovation, and undermine our democratic institutions. They can also leverage the hyper-connectivity of our infrastructure and the speed at which attacks can move laterally inside a network to accelerate their impact.
About the Author
