Study finds security professionals compare ransomware to terrorism

Study finds security professionals compare ransomware to terrorism

Venafi, a leading provider of machine identity management, has announced the findings of a global survey of more than 1,500 IT security decision makers that reveals almost two-thirds (60%) believe ransomware threats should be prioritized at the same level as terrorism.

These opinions echo the US Department of Justice, which raised the threat level of ransomware following the Colonial Pipeline attack.

“The fact that most IT security professionals consider terrorism and ransomware to be comparable threats tells you everything you need to know – these attacks are indiscriminate, debilitating and embarrassing,” said Kevin Bocek, Vice President Ecosystem and Threat Intelligence at Venafi.

“Unfortunately, our research shows that while most organizations are extremely concerned about ransomware, they also have a false sense of security about their ability to prevent these devastating attacks. Too many organizations say they rely on traditional security controls like VPNs and vulnerability scanning instead of modern security controls, like code signing, that are built into security and development processes.”

The study shows that most organizations are not using security controls that break the ransomware kill chain early in the attack cycle.

It also finds that over two thirds (67%) of respondents from organizations with more than 500 employees experienced a ransomware attack over the last 12 months.  

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