The German “Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit” (Cyber Security Alliance) initiative has announced the results of its latest cyber security survey. One core message stands out: Malware almost always finds its way into corporate IT systems by way of email.
Malware represents over half of all cyber attacks
The survey was conducted by the Federal Authority for Security in Information Technology (BSI) between the end of February and the beginning of March 2019 at roughly 1000 institutions. The period under review was the 2018 calendar year. For the participating organizations, infection through malware was once again the most common means of attack, accounting for 53 percent of the total. DDoS attacks and targeted hacking came in second with 18 percent and third with 12 percent respectively.
Those participating in the survey noted that 90 percent of the malicious programs were shared either as an attachment to an email or a link contained in the text of an email. In half of the cases, technical measures were able to prevent infection, while in the remainder the awareness shown by employees was often a factor for success. Although “success” is relative: In half of these cases (only malware which had been detected was considered), the attackers were successful and managed, for instance, to gain access to IT systems, influence their functions or manipulate the internet presence of the companies.
The fact that 90 percent of all attacks were identified as stemming from email as an attack vector makes a clear case for the importance of email security for companies. We can support you in this regard with our patented Retarus Email Security service, which has been praised by analysts and can be used in combination with email accounts from Microsoft‘s Office 365 or Google‘s G Suite. You can find more details about malware protection and other cyber threats on our website or directly from your local Retarus representative.
