President Joe Biden recently warned U.S. business leaders to strengthen their cyber defenses at once.
At the Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting in Washington, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin may use cyber attacks as revenge for U.S. actions to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
He also said the administration will keep using every tool to deter, disrupt, and, if needed, respond to attacks on critical infrastructure. But he added that the federal government cannot handle this threat alone.
The administration recommends these steps for private companies:
- Use MFA.
- Work with security pros to fix known weak spots.
- Change passwords across networks to block stolen logins.
- Back up and encrypt data.
- Train employees in cyber safety.
Cyber Incidents During the Pandemic
The warning comes as rising cyber threats continue to grow.
Peter Firstbrook, Gartner's research vice president for infrastructure security, said organizations worldwide face advanced ransomware, attacks on the digital supply chain, and deep weak spots. The pandemic sped up hybrid work and the shift to the cloud. That made it harder for CISOs to protect a more spread-out company, while many also faced a shortage of skilled staff.
Cybercrime rose more than 600% last year. The average cost of one data breach hit a record $4.24 million, according to LinkedIn's weekly newsletter, Hiring in Cybersecurity. As we move through 2022, cybersecurity job market growth remains strong, but hiring is still tough. Businesses will struggle to keep up with fast-changing cyber and digital needs.
The cyber job market is growing fast, and demand for security pros is high. As companies modernize, they are hiring more people to design, build, and run security tools and digital systems. But the cybersecurity talent gap is still wide. A shortage of skilled people keeps many roles open. Cybersecurity job postings have grown 94% in six years, and cyber jobs now make up 13% of all IT jobs.
Action Plan for Rising Threats
Genesis10's blog, Practical Insights for Cybersecurity, shares ways to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals and other key skills. It suggests either building skills from the ground up or using market trends to find talent.
Our strategic partnership with ++HolistiCyber++, a well-known cyber group, gives clients access to very skilled cyber experts. HolistiCyber uses a broad, holistic approach, strong private tools, and Darknet access. It also keeps adapting and watching a changing threat scene.
HolistiCyber's blog shares the top five security steps CISOs use to keep their networks safe in Q2:
- Gather cyber intelligence about any past, planned, or active attack on your company or partner firms.
- Watch all data traffic to stop data loss and fraud.
- Use zero trust, segmentation, and identity management. These help build stronger security in cloud-native or hybrid setups.
- Use automation and risk tools. These can support identity management, cloud/VPN/network access control, risk monitoring, risk control, SOCs, firewalls, anti-virus tools, and more.
- Use cyber forensics and incident response. Many groups are not ready to run digital forensics on their own, so they should keep basic breach-response steps in place. That helps them file insurance claims and avoid compliance fines.
At Genesis10, we are here to help. Let us help put your company in a strong, proactive position against these threats, instead of waiting for the next hack and the loss of revenue and trust.
Q&A
Question: Why did President Biden issue an urgent warning to businesses about cyber threats?
Answer: He said Russia may retaliate against U.S. actions in Ukraine through cyber attacks and warned that critical infrastructure is at risk. The federal government will deter and respond where it can, but it cannot defend alone, so private companies must strengthen their defenses right away.
Question: What immediate cybersecurity steps are recommended for private-sector organizations?
Answer: The guidance includes multi-factor authentication best practices, consulting security pros to fix known weak spots, changing passwords across networks, backing up and encrypting data, and training employees on cyber safety.
Question: How have cyber threats evolved during the pandemic?
Answer: Cyberattacks have surged, with advanced ransomware, supply chain attacks, and hidden weak spots targeting more spread-out, cloud-based companies. Reported cybercrime rose over 600% last year, the average data breach cost reached $4.24 million, and many teams still face a shortage of skilled staff.
Question: What is driving the cybersecurity talent gap?
Answer: Demand has grown much faster than supply as companies modernize and expand digital systems. Cybersecurity job postings grew 94% in six years and now make up 13% of all IT roles.
Question: How does Genesis10, in partnership with HolistiCyber, help organizations address rising threats and talent shortages?
Answer: Genesis10 suggests building talent from the ground up and using market trends to find resources. Its partnership with HolistiCyber adds experienced experts, a broad and holistic approach, private tools, and Darknet access for adaptive threat watching. Their guidance covers cyber intelligence gathering, broad monitoring, zero trust with segmentation and identity management, automation and risk tools, and cyber forensics and incident response steps.
