Cyberattacks can be devastating for businesses of all kinds, but some industries are more vulnerable than others to data breaches.
The shift toward remote work caused by pandemic has only compounded this problem, as employees use personal smartphones for business use – devices which are exposed to phishing attacks, poor password security and malicious apps.
Healthcare organisations
Cyber attacks against healthcare organizations represent an especially high risk, due to the vast amounts of patient data they contain. Such information has an immense monetary and intelligence value to cyber criminals and nation-state actors alike; including patient personal and financial details, medical records, intellectual property for healthcare innovation projects and more.
Healthcare organisations must adopt an all-inclusive and holistic cybersecurity approach that involves multiple stakeholders across their organization in order to prevent and mitigate risk, ensure patient safety and ensure uninterrupted service delivery during cyber attacks. This will protect patient well-being.
Health organizations face the risk of ransomware attacks from hackers that demand they release patient records or systems at ransom, leading to significant disruption of business operations and necessitating them paying an exorbitant sum to gain access again.
Utilizing technology in healthcare offers numerous advantages, from improved communication between doctors to automated procedures and faster response times. Unfortunately, however, the rise of connected technologies leaves healthcare organizations more susceptible to security breaches – this is particularly true of smaller enterprises who lack more comprehensive and up-to-date cybersecurity solutions.
Vulnerabilities in healthcare systems and devices expose healthcare organisations to various types of attacks. Furthermore, COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased remote work reliance as well as employee-owned devices connecting directly to internal networks; such devices present additional vulnerabilities within healthcare networks.
Financial institutions
Financial institutions possess sensitive data that attracts cybercriminals. Furthermore, these institutions must abide by various regulatory requirements, which requires that their data is secure and encrypted – making a solid cybersecurity strategy essential.
Financial sectors are an integral component of global economies and can be vulnerable to cyber attacks of various sorts. Such attacks could potentially have widespread repercussions that affect all aspects of global trade – even leading to systemic collapse of their respective financial sectors.
Cybersecurity issues can be committed by individuals, criminal groups and nation-states alike. Individual criminals commonly target banks to sell personal data or steal funds while hacktivists and state-sponsored attackers look for political leverage or economic gain.
Governments have implemented effective programs to counter criminal behavior in cyberspace; however, the threat environment has evolved considerably in recent months. Recent attacks against critical infrastructure providers have brought home to us the innate vulnerability of interconnected global systems; with no clear normative framework at an international level leaving these systems open to harmful activity.
Therefore, financial sector organizations must continue investing in innovative security technologies like AI and machine learning to defend against new threats. Furthermore, this industry must work toward improving communication with other sectors and public entities regarding potential cyber risks and their repercussions.
Manufacturing companies
Manufacturing companies are an integral component of our economy, but they’re also susceptible to cyberattacks. With automation such as cloud computing and robotics becoming more widely adopted in manufacturing companies, cybercriminals can more easily gain entry. Meanwhile, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence technologies provide additional ways for hackers to attack manufacturing firms.
Industrial Control Systems (ICSs) have become an essential element in manufacturing companies today, used to monitor and control operational technology. While traditionally these ICSs were kept isolated from company networks to reduce risks, advances such as IIoT and AI are exposing these systems more directly to cyber attacks via brute force attacks that exploit their vulnerabilities – giving cybercriminals access to critical company systems.
Hackers seek not only to reveal confidential data, but they may also seek to steal production drawings and computer systems to bolster their own productivity or give to competitors. All it takes for hackers to gain entry is one employee from one of your suppliers or partners responding to phishing emails and responding positively; hackers then have access to private networks and factory facilities – which can cost manufacturers an incredible sum in production downtime losses due to revenue leakage. Manufacturing firms should prioritize cybersecurity awareness among their teams as this can protect against future attacks.
Education institutions
Educational institutions present unique threats that make them attractive targets for cybercriminals. With access to vast stores of personal and research data as well as financial records that could be exploited illicitly. Unfortunately, schools frequently have outdated security systems and limited budgets which prevent them from implementing effective cybersecurity measures.
Schools are vulnerable to ransomware and malware attacks that disrupt operations and force an institute to pay a hefty ransom to regain access. Such attacks may also impede students trying to submit time-sensitive assignments or access work stored online.
Identity theft poses another significant threat for schools and universities. Cybercriminals could use student personal identifying information (PII) to apply for credit cards, loans or even get discounts off electricity services – yet because most parents rarely check their children’s credit reports this fraud could go undetected for months and even years before becoming apparent.
Education institutions also face DDoS attacks that threaten critical infrastructure like power plants and utilities, potentially endangering millions of lives. Therefore, educational institutions must strengthen their cybersecurity measures in order to protect this sensitive data, including monitoring environments for any signs of suspicious activity as well as using DLP tools on student devices to ensure safety.
Energy and utility companies
As a nation, we rely on energy and utility companies for essential services like water and power delivery. Unfortunately, their technology opens them up to cyber attacks; from ransomware attacks that disrupt services to theft via compromised networks to hijacking operational technology systems to shut down multiple wind turbines; cyberattacks pose an ever-present risk to utilities that require an integrated approach to cybersecurity and physical security measures.
Risk increases as utilities utilize older field devices that have been in service for decades, with planned lifespans measured in years rather than more recent IT standards. Furthermore, attackers can develop exploits faster for these older devices due to rapid innovation. Energy and utility companies are taking proactive steps to combat cyber threats. Many have taken measures to protect their networks and assets more securely, including training employees on spotting phishing attempts.
Government organizations
Cybercriminals commonly target government organizations because they hold access to valuable, personal and financial data about citizens that could be exploited for various illicit purposes, including extortion and espionage. Such attacks also pose the potential threat of disrupting daily operations in an important public service company and thus be detrimental for communities as a whole.
Government organizations face another major risk due to employees not following proper security practices. They could use unprotected WiFi connections while working from home, or mobile app versions of instant messaging clients increasing the risk that sensitive information falls into inappropriate hands.
Hackers have also increasingly utilized supply chain attacks against partner and supplier companies that provide access to government systems and data, known as supply chain attacks. These have become more frequent over time.
Government organisations must also abide by a variety of standards and laws designed to safeguard their data and networks, which makes implementing security solutions quickly more challenging. Furthermore, there is currently an acute talent shortage within cybersecurity; therefore it’s essential that organisations hire experts that provide efficient cyber protection at cost-efficient prices so as to reduce risks to their organization while assuring customer safety.