Ransomware is not a new attack vector. In fact, the first malware of its kind appeared more than 30 years ago and was distributed via 5.25-inch floppy disks. To pay the ransom, the victim had to mail money to a P.O. Box in Panama.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee a safe boundary for your sensitive data. As work-from-anywhere cements, employees are now collaborating freely with each other, with contractors and with partners. But this freedom to collaborate more broadly also means information is being shared among devices, applications and networks that your organization doesn't necessarily have control over.
We live in an IT world surrounded by buzzwords that are largely marketing gimmicks. Zero Trust, for example, is a concept no one actually understands and is slapped onto everything, including derivatives like Zero Trust networks (ZTN) and Zero Trust network access (ZTNA). Then there’s Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Security Service Edge (SSE) and everything that falls under these frameworks such as Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG).
Large construction firms rely on a vast network of architects, engineers, project managers, contractors, and suppliers to collaborate on projects of all sizes and complexities. While the digitization of the construction industry has made it easier for these project teams to share information, it also expands the cyber-attack surface.
In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. The latter of which malicious actors capitalize on seasonally with phishing attacks. From consumers to corporate finance and human resources (HR) departments, these social engineering attacks have become so pervasive that the IRS issued an annual advisory as a warning to businesses and consumers.
