10 years of online security

    Ten years is by no means a short time, even in a general historical context; during this time, very significant changes can occur. For example, 1976 has nothing to do with 1966, and since then almost every thing has changed in the world with every new decade. Due to the development of the Internet and the processes of globalization, cultural shifts may not be so noticeable today, but from the point of view of cybersecurity, a lot of time has passed since 2006.



    Before the advent of the iPhone, there was still a whole year, the first 3G networks were just beginning to appear in the world, and mobile applications in their current form did not exist. Music streaming services, photo publishing, social networks - all this was still in its infancy. In 2006, cyber security threats markedly differed from modern ones, since the resources available to hackers were very limited.

    Today, almost all aspects of our lives are somehow connected with the cloud; almost everything is stored in the cloud - from our bank accounts and outpatient cards to even more personal data; however, today we generate significantly more data than ever.

    Threat evolution


    The nature of the threats has evolved following this explosive growth of useful data. In the early 2000s, in most cases, threats and malicious code represented only minor troubles and were created with the aim of annoying or preventing users from working.

    Then in 2008, the Zeus Trojan virus appeared, which intercepted the details of bank cards by tracking the keys pressed by the user and copying the data of the submitted forms. Years later, about a hundred people were arrested for stealing a total of more than $ 70 million through the use of this Trojan.

    It was from this that the formation of a much more professional approach to cybercrime began. Viruses, trojans and worms began to be created to steal money and critical corporate information. Species of the Zeus Trojan virus are rampant to this day, infecting numerous computers. In fact, they played an important role in one of the largest cyber attacks to date - the attack against Target in 2013.

    It is important to remember that as soon as a device connects to the Internet, it immediately becomes vulnerable. And as new things are endowed with networking opportunities, everyone involved in this should be aware of the risks involved. Take, for example, cars connected to the network. The presence of Wi-Fi access and on-board entertainment systems with video streaming support, of course, add to the attractiveness of car sales, but as the events of last year showed, poorly thought-out security measures allow the possibility of intruders.

    Shifts in consumer perception


    Every day we see more and more news about large and large-scale data leaks, and in this regard, it is quite interesting to observe how consumer attitudes towards these leaks change. Since 2013, as a result of leaks in the world, almost four billion data records have been compromised, and this news no longer shock people. On such a scale, almost everything - from companies and their employees to ordinary consumers - got used to the idea that leaks are inevitable, and the main question now is when exactly the hack will happen. But in general, the situation is not at all as hopeless as it seems. In our recent study of Connected Living 2025, we asked the two thousandth generation for their opinion on data security issues. Two-thirds of them said they were wary of various threats, and there are many more such respondents than those who are relaxed and do not see any special dangers, or vice versa, are overly suspicious. Thus, the results of the survey indicate that today people realize the importance of protecting their data.

    Leakage prevention technologies are no longer relevant (as is the perimeter security concept)


    If the past ten years have taught us something, it is that the technology of perimeter protection is not able to provide the proper level of security. It doesn’t matter how high or strong the wall you build, the enemy will always find a way around it - go on the other side or crawl from below.

    Despite the increasing number of data leaks, companies continue to use firewalls, threat tracking tools and other leak prevention tools as the basis for their security strategies. However, most IT professionals readily admit that if a security perimeter breaks through, their corporate data and customer information will be at risk.

    This does not mean that the security perimeter no longer matters. This only suggests that protecting the perimeter should not be the only tool in the arsenal of companies to protect themselves from all kinds of threats. Instead, IT professionals need to accept the fact that leaks are inevitable, and work to make these leaks safe - through the use of security measures that are closer to data and to users, including through encryption technologies and multi-factor authentication.

    Encryption and multi-factor authentication as the most effective security methods


    The development of the following two technologies has significantly narrowed the possibilities of cybercriminals. Multifactor authentication technologies have already demonstrated their potential for protecting data records, and the encryption practice that is becoming a standard allows us to guarantee that in the event of data theft or loss, attackers will not be able to use it.

    Threats to cybersecurity will continue to be a significant challenge. But as those who were born after the Internet entered the masses in 1995 grow up, we will be able to cope with these threats and confront them openly. In any case, this certainly will have nothing to do with the practice of 2006, when, after the theft of 26.5 million data records in the US Department of Defense, the responsible department waited three weeks before informing anyone whose data was stolen.

    Survey of experts


    How IT specialists assess the security situation in their companies and what they see as security challenges in the coming years - in our infographic:


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