Cognosec releases cyber security statistics
Cognosec hosted a panel event with Rt Hn David Blunkett and a number of high profile speakers including Mustafa Al-Bassam (Ex Anonymous Group hacktivist), Graham Cluley (award-winning computer security expert), Oliver Eckel (Cognosec CEO) and Neira Jones (award-winning payment security consultant and speaker).
The role of government in cyber security, how companies can protect themselves in this ever-changing climate and what can be done to turn the tide against cybercrime were among the topics discussed by the panel. A report outlining key discussion points and the results of a live poll at the event can be found here link, with additional panellist quotes and an overview of the poll results below (all content suitable for publication).
Poll results – based on a broad cross-section of 90+ security, retail, IT and payments industry professionals and c-level attendees
• More than two thirds of attendees (68%) believe data breaches are inevitable
• More than 70% agreed that there should be harsher penalties for companies that fail to protect their users from attack
• 33% were in favour of greater Government surveillance powers, ~33% were against (vehemently or otherwise) and ~33% had reservations despite understanding the rationale
• 91% attendees agreed that companies should employ ethical hackers to test their systems
Panellist quotes
David Blunkett
“No government or organisation is immune to today’s cyber threat and, despite increased awareness, combatting cyber crime remains a huge challenge. Education, communication and collaboration are therefore essential at every level of the public and private sector.
“Individual privacy and a nation’s ability to protect itself will always be of the upmost importance. However, balancing civil liberties and national security is becoming increasingly difficult. As evidenced by the Cognosec event, Government surveillance powers are a remarkably contentious issue. I was fascinated to see how different the thoughts of attendees were from each other, as well as from the current Government.”
Oliver Eckel
“I wasn’t at all surprised to see that the majority of attendees believe that data breaches are inevitable, nor that people want harsher penalties for companies that fail to protect customer data. It reflects the hostile world we live in today. Hacking is a constant threat and there is growing discontent amongst consumers who feel too little is being done to protect their most sensitive information.
“Hackers can only target people, processes or technology, and humans are the weakest link in the chain by far. Even as we create more advanced technology and processes, the human element can never be removed entirely and the overwhelming majority of data breaches can still be traced back to PEBCAK* errors. Awareness and education are therefore the most important steps in turning the tide against cyberattack.”
*Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair
Neira Jones
“The security industry is so diverse that it never gets boring! Every day criminals find new ways of perverting technology advancements, which in turn creates a competitive and innovative environment.”
Graham Cluley
“No business can afford to ignore the growing problem of determined hackers, who can strike organisations of any size with their targeted attacks”
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