Protection against hacker attacks
Insurers: many companies overwhelmed
Targeted blackmail with ransomware is on the rise and is "often carried out in a highly professional manner". Insurers warn that many companies are overwhelmed by cyber security and point out specific security gaps.
Insurers: Protection against hacker attacks still overwhelms many companies
© Pixabay / CC0According to specialist insurers, the renewed increase in the number of cyber attacks on companies, authorities and medical facilities shows that hacking threats are often handled carelessly. "Blackmail with ransomware has happened before, but many companies are still somewhat overwhelmed with digital protection," says Johannes Steffl. At HDI Global, the industrial insurer of the Hanover-based Talanx Group, he heads the unit for risk assessments, which are also incorporated into corresponding policies.
"We are currently seeing more and more targeted attacks," explains Steffl on the encryption of data by the REvil group, which recently hit numerous companies worldwide, particularly in the retail sector, via systems from the American IT service provider Kaseya.
Targeted and highly professional attacks
According to the HDI Global expert, such actions are "often carried out in a highly professional manner". Business and administration must be prepared to invest more in cyber security: "There is still a lot of catching up to do here in some places, for example some companies do not even have adequate backup concepts." Industrial companies and operators of critical infrastructures are also vulnerable.
In addition to phishing emails as a classic gateway, hackers are more likely to simply exploit existing vulnerabilities in the systems themselves. "They take the path of least resistance," says Steffl. "The human factor, such as a lack of caution, does not play a decisive role here." A single vulnerable point in the IT system is enough. Supply chains in the industry could also suffer in the event of a successful attack: "If the screw manufacturer has a problem with its production, then the car manufacturer that needs these screws will have a problem all the more."
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