Cybercrime: organized crime on the net

We all know the cliché about cybercriminals: a lonely figure sitting in front of their screen, all day and all night – and plotting to bring the world to its knees from the comfort of their bedroom. While this may be the case when it comes to individual hacker attacks, the reality is a lot different these days. Cybercrime is highly organized and highly lucrative for those involved: «Today’s cybercriminals operate with budgets of five to ten percent of global economic output,» explains John Winter, Manager for Cybersecurity at Green.

The more digital, the more vulnerable

Increasing digitalization comes with many benefits for companies – but also creates new threats. If data is only stored in digital form, attacks can have a profound effect. Insurance companies, financial institutions and healthcare providers, e.g. medical practices and hospitals, are popular targets for cybercriminals due to the particularly sensitive nature of their data. But smaller production companies, tradespeople and the gastronomy sector are also increasingly being targeted by cybercrime.

«Any company that collects confidential data such as payment information and other customer details is of interest to cybercriminals,» says John Winter, Manager for Cybersecurity at Green. «In fact, practically every sector is a potential target for cybercrime these days.» The following must be stressed: only if you know the threats can you combat them effectively.

Phishing, malware and ransomware

The digital underworld is an unknown quantity for most people. But even if you’re not a regular visitor to the dark web, as it is known, you should still familiarize yourself with the most prominent scams and defense mechanisms. Cybercrime can essentially be divided into three categories:

• Phishing
  This involves cybercriminals «phishing» for confidential data such as passwords via SMS, email or phone. The aim is to gain access to internal systems such as accounting systems or digitally operated production machines. You can intercept phishing attacks before they cause any real damage with the proper training and tools.
• Malware/viruses
  It only takes one simple click on an infected email attachment for malware to take control of your entire IT system. The extent of the potential damage depends on the type of software used. Modern antivirus programs automatically detect malicious patterns using artificial intelligence.
• Ransomware
  This digital form of extortion enables cybercriminals to take possession of a company’s data, encrypt it and then demand a ransom. Regular, secure and extensive backups can save companies expensive ransom payments.

Cybercriminals not only target specific companies directly, but now also use automated tools that uncover data security leaks on the net and initiate targeted attacks.

Holistic cybersecurity solutions

From email traffic to the accounting system: effective protection means keeping an eye on all areas of a company. A holistic cybersecurity solution such as that provided by Green is interlinked and always has an overview of the various threats. This requires experts who understand the current threat level and are always on hand to monitor the situation. Intelligent algorithms check and recognize patterns within seconds and react immediately to potential attacks.

«It is also important to protect the data physically,» explains John Winter. «In the data center, too, where the backups are stored, adequate protection is required against break-ins, forces of nature and attacks.» Here, Green’s multi-protected Swiss high-security data centers offer clear benefits and provide additional certainty, because data security is a core principle at Green and is practiced day in, day out.

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