2020 Malware Report

The Challenge of Malware: Finding Long Term Solutions for a Chronic Problem

No matter how much technology progresses, malware continues to be a consistent menace that never seems to grow outdated. No matter how long the fight against malware has been, there is always more to learn in order to better safeguard against attacks. Finding out what other organizations are experiencing, and how they're bolstering their own environments can be particularly helpful, providing new ideas and a perspective of whether you're doing enough for your cybersecurity program. In this report from Cybersecurity Insiders, sponsored by Fortra, respondents ranging from technical executives to managers and IT security practitioners from organizations of varying sizes across multiple industries answered questions to provide clarity on what kinds of attacks organizations are experiencing and how they are handling these threats, from prevention to recovery.

Ransomware continues to plague organizations, with 43% of respondents having experienced an attack and 80% of respondents feeling it was at least moderately likely they would experience another attack within the next 12 months. Additionally, 82% of those surveyed were most concerned about ransomware out of any type of malware. If not prevented, or not caught shortly after infection, these ransomware attacks can cripple organizations by holding data hostage, either stealing it to sell on the dark web, or making sensitive information public if a ransom is not paid. Customer information, financial data, intellectual property, and employee details are frequently targeted during attacks, and may still be stolen, even when attackers are paid off.

Perhaps most alarming is the widespread and long term impact a malware attack can have on an organization. Respondents indidcated increased cost of security (59%), productivity loss (57%), system downtime (50%), and IT security strategy revisions (48%) as a few of the major consequences of an attack.

Want to learn what organizations ranked as the best prevention methods and preferred solutions? For this, and other insights, complete the form to download your free copy of the report.