Latin America. One of the main consequences of the increasing use of encryption technology is the increase in cyber attacks, highlights A10 Networks, a leader in application network and security technology, in a new study on network security.
Under the title "Hidden Threats in Encrypted Traffic: A Study of North America & EMEA, the report, conducted in collaboration with the Ponemon Institute, on a sample of 1,023 IT and security professionals based in North America and Europe, it captures the overwhelming challenges faced by these managers to prevent and detect hidden attacks on encrypted traffic inside and outside their organizations' networks.
80% of participants admit that their organizations have been victims of a cyber attack or a malicious insider during the past year, and almost half recognize that attackers use the encryption of communications to avoid detection. However, 47% cite a lack of adequate security tools as the main reason for not inspecting decrypted web traffic, followed closely by insufficient resources and degradation of network performance (both 45%).
While 75% of respondents understand the risk posed to their networks by malware hidden in their encrypted traffic, about two-thirds of them think their company is not prepared to detect malicious SSL traffic, leaving them vulnerable to costly data breaches and loss of intellectual property.
Among the IT professionals who responded to the survey, the highest percentage work in the Financial sector, followed by those who work in the area of Health and Public Sector; three of the sectors that most need to protect their sensitive data.
Moreover, the threat is expected to worsen as the volume of encrypted data traffic continues to grow. In addition, the majority of respondents predict that over the next year attackers will increasingly use encryption to evade detection controls. Many companies may be surprised and their security solutions end up collapsed under the weight of vulnerabilities embedded in SSL traffic.
"IT managers need to think more strategically," says Dr. Chase, Cunningham, Director of Cyber Operations at A10 Networks. "Like the good guys, bad guys look for an ROI, but without striving to get it. For this reason, and instead of focusing on doing things right one hundred percent of the time, IT managers could be more effective, if they sometimes proceeded more strategically and took advantage of the best technology available. Cyber security is equivalent to a zombie marathon: if you avoid being the slowest to outperform zombies, you minimize the risk."
"The study, The Hidden Threats in Encrypted Traffic, sheds light on important facts related to the malicious threats that lurk in today's corporate networks," said Dr. Larry Ponemon, President and Founder of the Ponemon Institute. "Our goal is to help organizations understand the risks to help them more effectively address vulnerabilities that loom over their networks."
