Cybersprint Blog

As more and more public services go online, citizens need to feel they can trust governments with their data – especially those reluctant to start using digital versions of familiar services such as passport renewal or residency registration. Moreover, sensitive government documents and sensitive communication channels between departments and politicians need to be kept secure, even as cyberthreats become increasingly sophisticated and effective. Digital Risk Protection (DRP) solutions are a key element of cyber-defence strategies for public sector organisations when it comes to keeping citizens, politicians and their data safe.

Downtime, especially when it happens unexpectedly, is the enemy of productivity. Just ask Sony. When their online gaming platform was hacked in 2011, the service had to be taken offline for a month, resulting in unplanned costs of around $171 million, not including the reputational damage caused by 77 million user accounts being compromised. So, what can you do to prevent this kind of disaster?

It looks like your website. It feels like your website. It even works like your website. There’s just one problem: it’s not your website. It’s a fake, set up by cyber crooks to defraud your loyal customers by taking their money and delivering fake goods, or perhaps nothing at all. Not only does this kind of fakery have a damaging impact on your brand’s reputation, it also costs millions of dollars per year. And perhaps the most worrying thing of all is that setting up this kind of criminal enterprise is surprisingly easy to do. So what kind of solutions are there?

The days of IT being a sunk cost are over – at least they are for organisations that want to leverage the full power of digital transformation, while minimising the risks. This new reality applies to many of the ways in which technology supports the realisation of business goals – both offensively and defensively. And as business becomes increasingly digital, both assume ever greater importance.

Within most organisations, digital security infrastructure grows organically, and it’s easy to lose clarity over exactly what capabilities are in place. So, although Digital Risk Protection (DRP) solutions are an increasingly important weapon in the fight against digital threats, it’s important to know what you need before you pull the trigger on an investment. Here are the questions we believe CISOs should be asking in the decision-making process.

Trying to identify sources of digital risk for your organisation can feel like searching for a black cat in a dark room. And even if you have a torch, you need to be shining it in the right direction to spot the cat. And of course, it might not be sitting still…. But imagine you can simply turn on all the lights in the room – and when you do, you can see there are several black cats, as well as dozens of mice, spiders (and who knows what else) that you had no idea were there.

Most people aren’t aware of the difference between the surface web, deep web and dark web. In fact, most people aren’t even aware that the dark web in particular even exists. And yet, it’s below the surface that many of the biggest threats to personal and organisational data originate. This is why having a corporate digital risk protection strategy in place that counters threats which aren’t visible on the surface is so important.

There is a shift in the way cyber criminals are targeting organisations. The methods of mass phishing and hacking are making way for more directed and personalised attacks. They carefully select their targets and craft convincing messages. However, that takes much more time and preparation. To make up for that, they now use automated techniques to carry out attacks. How can you protect your organisation from this emerging threat? 

In december is het, naast de gezellige tijd van lichtjes, Mariah Carey en cadeautjes, ook de tijd om de zorgverzekering weer onder de loep te nemen. Op televisie, radio en in print bieden de verzekeraars en vergelijkers de ene na de andere deal om mensen te laten overstappen of hun zorgverzekeringspakketten aan te passen. Dit is geen slechte ontwikkeling. Jaarlijks kunnen bepalen aan welke dekking je behoefte hebt leidt tot een beter toegesneden zorgverzekering. Maar we moeten wel goed op blijven letten tijdens het afsluiten. Photo Credit goes to Marco Verch. This photo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License