With WannaCry leaving over 100 countries weeping, cybercrime has emerged as one of the major global threats of the year. Even the World Economic Forum (WEF) has recognized data theft, misuse of emerging technologies, and cyber-attacks as pressing issues which need immediate attention. Internet security has thus emerged as a full-grown market to help businesses, governments, health organizations, and even the military, to tackle cyber-attacks in a more targeted manner.
Petya : A ransomware or wiper?
Petya made news as being a lethal ransomware which created havoc for businesses by infecting the latter’s entire computer infrastructure and stealing all the sensitive information. The Petya ransomware thus, not only locks away a few files, rather it corrupts the entire system making it impossible to retrieve the data.
The basic premise of ransomware is to make money. A ransom amount to be paid to the attacker to get the encrypted data back. But, in the case of Petya, it has been found that the term ransomware has been a misnomer. According to security analysts, under the disguise of being a ransomware, Petya was a cyber-espionage setup that specifically targeted Ukraine. Petya, in short, is not a ransomware but a wiper which aims at destroying the Ukrainian networks.
Internet security starts with simple foresight
As cyber space turns into the new battleground, it has become critical for governments, financial institutions, and individual users to turn to a foolproof internet security plan. Critics might never fail to point out how nonfunctional most anti ransomware have proved to be. However, one cannot completely give up on the idea of securing their networks just because of the repeated instances of hacking and malware attacks.
The testimony to robust internet security is a well-equipped infrastructure which provides a thick layer of protection against malignant online activities. To meet this prerequisite, ISOC, and OTA, two chief internet security protocol bodies have decided to merge and plug in the loopholes in the existing internet security systems and procedures.
Industry experts recommend going back to the basics like following password hygiene, installing of dual authentication access control, and following zero tolerance security systems. Mature internet security walls are also important components of an anti malware infrastructure.
IBM, Intel, Symantec, and HP, are already working on building solutions which cater to the requirements of government organizations, healthcare industry, banking, financial services & insurance sectors. This explains why the global market for internet security systems is all set to witness a double-digit CAGR in the next five years.
