How well is my company positioned when it comes to cybersecurity? Are we way ahead of the game or do we have one foot in a major security hole… these are questions that IT managers often ask themselves. New screenings provide some surprising answers.

European chemical companies particularly at risk
The probability of being hacked is significantly higher for a company based in Europe than anywhere else in the world. Not surprisingly, Asia – and especially the eastern part of the continent – is far ahead in terms of cybersecurity.

A closer look at the individual sectors reveals major differences. Chemical companies in particular are targeted by hackers: chemical groups are the most frequent victims of cybercrime, accounting for around 75%. (Link to our blog Chemical sites and IT security: Too many cooks spoil the broth) However, it is not surprising that hackers have a preference for these companies, as our screening analysis show that the chemical industry as a whole has more significant gaps in its cybersecurity compared to other industries.

Between research and reality
Interestingly, there is a gap between security problems assumed and projected into the future and those that actually exist. Researchers focus on novel, complex classes of flaws, while most problems found on the Internet are old familiar ones.

The vast majority of security problems on the Web can be fixed by basic security measures. Even changing default passwords, using a firewall, securing servers, etc. already significantly reduces the risk.

First the duty, then the freestyle
The motto should be: concentrate on the essentials, because a lot can be achieved with just a few effective measures. First focus on Process Maturity, a secure architecture, regular and effective system hardening, and well-established patching processes. Second on Technology Maturity, which measures whether the corporate network is easy to maintain and well protected against common attacks. A distinction is made between technology complexity, modern technology mix and e-mail protection.

TIP: How does your company compare to its peer group? Let us check your risk and find out which industries you can learn from. Based on our analysis, we recommend measures that ensure cost-effective and efficient security.

Der Beitrag Who is Hacker’s favorite? erschien zuerst auf e2 Security.