Commentary

The internet is a wide area of interaction. People from all over the earth can chat, show off their videos, conduct business, and so on. However, over half the traffic that occurs online isn’t even human.

According to Incapsula’s Bot Traffic report, the majority of web traffic last year can be attributed to bots. While this is actually a lower percentage than 2013, it still is a wake-up for smaller websites. It goes to show that a website’s success cannot be measured by traffic alone since many of the visitors might not be actual visitors at all. For more on this topic, please click here:: Bots account for more than half of all 2014 web traffic, report shows
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2015 is here and everyone has their New Year’s Resolutions, which for most is to drop some weight. This resolution shouldn’t only apply to people, but for companies as well. Many companies are “data obese” and are risking their company’s health.

Data obesity is when an organization possesses unneeded data. This excessive data, for example: addresses or credit information of former clients, creates more data they need to protect and heightens the chances of mismanagement. This not only increases risk, but also cost since it requires more money to store and protect that data. Data that you no longer need! Companies should pause and look at what data should be retained and what data they need to eliminate, for safety and financial sake. For more on this topic, click here:: Data Obese
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It is pricy to keep a network safe. Projections show that global spending on information security has reached $71.1 billion in 2014. While you shouldn’t put a price on safety, is the money spent on things at are actually effective? Can you protect your network while spending wisely?

First thing to do is focus on areas of your network that present the biggest risks. Ask yourself, “What can a person do with this information?” Will it compromise customer’s private data? Will it damage your employees or projects if exposed? If this was compromised, how much would it cost to fix it and make it right with your customers? The potential cost of damage control might be worlds more than the cost to prevent it. For a full article on this topic, click here:: Building a Better Security Budget
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There is a troubling statistic out there that isn’t being properly addressed. More the ¾ of organizations operating in the United States and United Kingdom have experienced at least one DNS attack. In fact, 66% of the U.S. organizations experienced a DNS attack within the last 12 months. When are we going to wake up?

DDoS attacks alone require minimal effort and resources yet they cause organizations to lose internet, complaints from customers, lost data, and lose revenue. It is imperative for all businesses to have DNS protection plans and for them to update them regularly. If not, the cost might become too great. For more on this topic, click here:: DNS attacks putting organizations at risk, survey finds
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The internet is already a valued tool, if not a utility, to modern culture. As more people gain access and become web savvy, new innovations and uses will emerge. In many people’s lives, the internet has become their primary source of news, music, television programming, video gaming, shopping, and so much more. However, as the internet grows, cybercrime grows and evolves as well.

While many criminals attack weak online entities with phishing attacks, social engineering attacks are gaining strength and reach. Cybercriminals are becoming more organized and are becoming better at targeting attacks. The recent Sony breach is such an example. As we move onward, we must also stay alert and know that as the internet grows, the enemy grows as well. For a full article on this topic, click here:: Social engineering will ramp up in 2015
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