The pandemic has shone a light on the importance of critical infrastructure to our everyday lives. However, their importance attracts attacks, but so does their vulnerability, which is why we’ve seen a rise in cybercrime against our vital infrastructure including supermarkets, schools, healthcare, and hospitality, writes Miles Tappin, Vice President of EMEA at the cyber risk platform ThreatConnect, pictured.
Every day, new risks and responsibilities are thrust upon them. With changing consumer habits, the pandemic, and the rise of cybercriminals, what can they expect? And how can they adapt to understand, manage, and protect against risk most effectively?
Soft targets
There is no honour among cybercriminals. If earlier waves of hacking and ransomware targeted large financial institutions, energy firms, and multinational businesses, it was because that’s where the most significant rewards were. Why hold a school ransom when you can (virtually) hold up a bank?
Things have changed. Recent research found a 29 per cent increase in cyber-attacks against the global education sector, with a stunning 93pc rise against schools and colleges in the UK. The actual cost of these hacks is impossible to judge since no one knows how many schools are paying up – or how much. But it’s obvious why schools are such an attractive target for criminals: they are a big part of our national infrastructure yet still relatively undefended. The problem has become so bad that the UK’s National Cyber Security Council (NCSC) has urged all educational establishments to sign up for its Early Warning Service.
By Miles Tappin, Vp of EMEA of ThreatConnect. Read more of the story here: