Michael Pfitzner CGI VP of newsroom solutions
What are the biggest cybersecurity threats now? While cybersecurity threats are global, we know these can vary locally, creating challenges unique to each organisation. Broadcasters’ operations can be disrupted by the most common cyber threats; hacking, malware, phishing and ransomware, to those considered higher threat perpetrators, such as cyber terrorists and criminal groups. In addition, potential vulnerabilities to broadcasters can encompass gaining unauthorised access to greater volumes and types of content and data easily. Enterprises are also expanding their supplier ecosystems and customer bases, which inadvertently creates more areas that are potentially at risk. Many are also involved in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and reorganisations, and have increasingly hybrid workforces (human and non-human) operating from almost anywhere. All of these
AT CGI, WE FOCUS ON A BALANCED, PROACTIVE, INSIGHTS-LED APPROACH
What best practices do you have in place to defend yourself? At CGI, we focus on a balanced, proactive, insights-led approach. At the foundation is our Cybersecurity Advisory and Accelerators Services. Specifically, end-to-end security – from strategic consultation and solution design, development and implementation, to 24/7 global operational protection to prepare customers for the digital realities of today and the future. As part of our protocol, we’ve invested heavily in establishing our credentials, and work closely with international security associations and standards bodies to keep abreast of the evolving cyber threat landscape.
place organisations at greater risk from cyber criminals looking to take advantage of perceived weaknesses. Would you say your customers are well informed on these crucial cybersecurity issues? Customers and partners, both local and international, have made it part of their business protocol to become more vigilant, and embedded stricter data protection and privacy regulations to help build resilience against cyberattacks. In a recent CGI customer survey, 83% of respondents believe employee training and awareness are core to a cybersecurity strategy that’s successful.
Andy Wright Check Point Software Regional director UK&I
What are the biggest cybersecurity threats now? Cloud adoption is one of the biggest threats out there. We are seeing so many businesses adopting cloud at an incredibly rapid pace, but they don’t seem to think about the impact on their infrastructure; cloud is very different from an on-premises data centre, and traditional security tools and strategies can’t always secure it effectively. One of the other issues has to be ransomware. So far this year, Check Point Research has discovered a 93% global increase in ransomware attacks, and even saw a new ‘triple extortion’ technique emerge. Attackers not only steal sensitive data from organisations and threaten to release it publicly unless a payment is made, but also target organisations’ customers and/or business partners and demand ransoms from them, too. It’s likely ransomware attacks will continue to be a huge threat to businesses, despite increased investment from governments and law enforcement – especially as the Biden administration makes this a priority.
With such investment and ever more advanced tools, the authorities will enjoy some success, but threat actors will evolve, as they always do – and new groups will emerge in the ransomware arms race.
What is the scariest cybersecurity story you’ve ever heard?
There is one incident that really made me stand up and take a look – the WannaCry attack in May 2017. WannaCry is a ransomware worm that used a known vulnerability to launch an attack on a hugely important organisation in the UK, infecting around 200,000 computers within just three days. It was a scary wake-up call. A patch already existed a month before the attack, labelled ‘critical,’ due to its high potential for exploitation. I think most of us are guilty of clicking ‘remind me later ’ on computer updates, but this incident absolutely highlighted that we must never ignore them.
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