1. What’s the current outlook in terms of cybercrime in Portugal? What are the biggest threats for enterprises and public entities?
In Portugal, we are seeing the biggest rise in ransomware, which has more than doubled recently. According to S21sec, in the second half of 2022, ransomware attacks in Portugal rose by 120%, putting the country in 24th place in the global ranking of those affected the most by this kind of cyberattack.
These kinds of cyberattacks that makes up 65% of the analysed attacks in total are mostly directed against industry (14%), followed by retail (7%) and the health sector (7%). Other sectors such as construction, technology, education, transport and logistics and the government are also affected.
2. What should a cybersecurity strategy entail?
Although it goes without saying that your entire defence ecosystem is important, the general consensus is to focus on your endpoints, which includes the user. It makes sense to talk about specific attack surfaces, but the devices in use should be equipped with all kinds of protective measures. Users are only human, and however well they might be educated on the topic, are still subject to their emotions, which may lead to them falling victim to phishing, for example.
This is where the Wolf Security tool set by HP can make all the difference. Many of these modes of protection are installed by default in HP devices, ranging from application isolation with HP Sure Click to next-gen antivirus programs with intelligent protection by HP Sure Sense, which adds layers of defence.
3. Is it the sole responsibility of your IT to deal with cybersecurity? What role do your other employees play in this?
Cybersecurity is a matter that affects everyone. The IT department alone of any company could never keep up the pace with the rising number of cybersecurity threats. Instead, they should equip their organisation with devices (laptops, desktop PCs, printers and servers) that are running technology to prevent cyberthreats (below, on and above the OS layer) as well as educate their employees and continually train them so that they are well-prepared to face this kind of threat.
It’s the employees’ responsibility to stay informed on the topic and to accept their IT department’s recommendations that may include the installation of security patches for the OS and the introduction of MFA (Multifactor Authentication) systems.
4. What role do artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning play in cybersecurity?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning play a significant role, as cybercrime never sleeps and the perpetrators attack while others rest. Many of the attacks are carried out on Friday evenings or over the weekend to create alarm and delay responses.
It’s common knowledge that many cyberattacks are first tested and later carried out by bots with increasingly sophisticated AI, whereas the communication with the companies affected, especially the big fish, is handled by humans who work for these criminal organisations.
As mentioned in the HP WOLF SECURITY REPORT published in March, next-generation antivirus programs are based on AI and machine learning which enables them to identify anomalies in behaviour at endpoints and shut down threats before they hemerge.
5. How can blockchain technology contribute to cybersecurity?
Blockchain-based systems have the potential to cut out middlemen and enable a higher data integrity at lower transaction costs. This technology has advanced remarkably in the past years, mostly due to the emergence of crypto currencies.
Data are continuously saved one after the other but are only transferred when both parties included in the transaction verify it. The advantages include higher transparency and increased control, but one of the biggest benefits is that there are little to no middlemen, increasing cybersecurity.
6. The Internet of Things (IoT) exposes us to the risk of cybercrime. What can enterprises and public entities do to protect themselves?
IoT has opened up a whole new world of possibilities and chances within a product portfolio that was previously incompatible with internet technology. It has become possible to control these devices remotely, increasing their user comfort and usefulness.
The interest of manufacturers in bolstering the security of these devices wasn’t given much thought in the early stages of development, whereas now things have changed. Enterprises and public entities who purchase these products need to consider which firmware and software the manufacturers in question implement on their devices.
7. Cloud computing bears the risk of opening the door to cybercrime. What can enterprises and public entities do to protect themselves?
Cloud computing providers have to deal with the same threats as all other data storage providers and even though they try their best to protect their systems, their users and companies can still fall victim to attacks. As these companies store a lot of information that is delicate and confidential, they are lucrative prey for cybercriminals.
Enterprises and public entities can protect themselves by not relying solely on information from the cloud and pursuing a strategy of physical backups that are easily accessible but not connected to the network during daily business. It’s imperative to create regular backups to make sure that systems can be easily restored with as few disruptions as possible in the event of a ransomware attack.
8. How can Bechtle and HP help organisations increase their cybersecurity?
HP and Bechtle are striving to equip endpoints above and below the operating system level with cybersecurity technology and to gain as much knowledge as possible on this topic by exchanging information.
Cybercriminals are constantly evolving and the best way to deal with this is to provide best practices and knowledge on the subject to employees and IT in combination with using hardware and software tools of the kind HP and Bechtle implement into its devices on a daily basis.
