The sophistication and accessibility of cyber threats are soaring. With attack volumes escalating, the National Cyber Security Centre has even declared that cyber threats are at a historical peak. This has placed unprecedented pressure on security leaders to defend against these threats and demonstrate the effectiveness and financial wisdom of their cybersecurity investments.
Navigating this landscape is challenging, particularly given the expansive toolkit available to cyber criminals. From sophisticated automated tools and dark web marketplaces to the troubling rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service and occasional backing by nation-states, these resources empower cybercriminals to strike a broad array of targets, including businesses of any size.
Alarmingly, while the methods of attackers have evolved and their targets have diversified, their basic tactics remain consistent: infiltrate, maneuver laterally, and exfiltrate valuable data. Most security teams are well-versed in these tactics; yet the persistent success of cyber-attacks suggests that many organizations are not fully capitalizing on their cybersecurity investments.
According to Gartner, a staggering $215 billion is forecasted to be spent on security and risk management this year alone, underscoring the critical stakes for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). The challenge lies in the amount of money spent and in strategically directing those funds to maximize impact.
Moving Beyond Conventional Security Approaches
Traditional security defenses, while essential, are now insufficient alone. Modern threat actors are capable of breaching virtually any user account or device, remaining undetected within network environments for extended periods, and moving laterally from one system to another. They increasingly deploy automated attacks, using bots to swiftly exploit vulnerabilities and spread malware.
In response, organizations must transcend traditional endpoint protection and perimeter defenses, focusing instead on strategies that thwart lateral movement within their increasingly hybrid IT environments. Success hinges on disrupting the pathways exploited by attackers, from the point of entry to the ultimate extraction of data.
As hybrid IT environments continue to expand, blending on-premises resources with cloud infrastructures, they pose distinct challenges. These environments enhance the complexity of maintaining comprehensive visibility over all assets, thereby providing covert avenues for threat actors to embed themselves and navigate toward their targets. This obscured visibility necessitates a vigilant, forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity, prioritizing the strategic allocation of resources to where they can most effectively stifle cyber threats and bolster overall security posture.