How Fake ‘Insiders’ Can Hijack an Organization | CIO Insight

How Fake ‘Insiders’ Can Hijack an Organization

Oct 20, 2015
2 minute read

How Fake ‘Insiders’ Can Hijack an Organization

How Fake ‘Insiders’ Can Hijack an OrganizationHow Fake ‘Insiders’ Can Hijack an Organization

Cyber-attackers posing as legitimate insiders with privileged accounts are at the core of most cyber-attacks, yet many IT leaders are unaware of the danger.

Top Concern: Stolen Admin, Privileged AccountsTop Concern: Stolen Admin, Privileged Accounts

38% of respondents said stolen administrative and privileged credentials are their No. 1 security concern. 27% cited phishing attacks. 23% cited malware on the network and 12% cited infected endpoints.

Most Difficult Stage to MitigateMost Difficult Stage to Mitigate

Asked when it becomes most difficult to stop the attack cycle, 61% of respondents cited privileged account takeover, up from 44% last year.

Time to Discover BreachTime to Discover Breach

55% of respondents believe they can detect a breach within days, with 25% saying they can detect one within hours.

Types of Attacks of Greatest ConcernTypes of Attacks of Greatest Concern

The types of attacks respondents are most concerned about are: Password Hijacking: 72%, Phishing Attacks: 70%, SSH (secure shell) Key Hijacking: 41%, Pass-the-Hash: 36%, Golden Ticket: 23%

Confidence in Cyber-StrategyConfidence in Cyber-Strategy

57% of respondents said they are confident in their organization’s CEO and/or boards ability to provide sound leadership regarding security strategy.

Confidence in Preventing Network BreachesConfidence in Preventing Network Breaches

56% of respondents said they are confident in their ability to prevent hackers from breaking into their network.

Leading Factors Responsible for Most BeachesLeading Factors Responsible for Most Beaches

48% of respondents blame most data breaches on poor employee security habits. 29% said technical sophistication of cyber-attacks are responsible.

Automated Privileged Account ManagementAutomated Privileged Account Management

Half of respondents’ organizations have automated the security of privileged accounts. The breakout: 51% have automated privileged account management system in place across their organization while 49% do not.

Is Compliance Sufficient to Prevent Breaches?Is Compliance Sufficient to Prevent Breaches?

90% of respondents do not believe compliance with industry regulations is enough to prevent a data breach.

Karen A. Frenkel

Karen A. Frenkel is a contributor to CIO Insight. She covers cybersecurity topics such as digital transformation, vulnerabilities, phishing, malware, and information governance.

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