Page 119 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

parties, especially on internet-connected We’ve seen cybersecurity is a topic of
storage. priority for companies worldwide and
a rising matter in the Middle-East..
Earlier last year, for example, the group We witnessed the Kingdom of Saudi
SamSam launched a series of ransomware Arabia hosting their first annual Global
attacks on hospitals in the US. The group Cybersecurity Forum to kick off the year.
scanned the internet for RDP (Remote A monumental event for the region and
Desktop) connections without password demonstration of the willingness to take
protection, before breaking into and action and prioritize cybersecurity. GISEC
freezing networks and asking for a Bitcoin Middle 2020 is coming and conferences
ransom. It is only a matter of time before we and tradeshows dedicated to the topic are
start reading about more such examples in happening every week.
the press.
The SAMENA Council has made
Ways to counter data leaks cybersecurity a key issue and is determined
So, what is to be done? Perimeter-based to do everything in its power to protect
data leak systems are no longer enough. stakeholders in the region and shed light
Training and awareness initiatives not only on the most cutting-edge solutions in the
within organizations but in collaboration world. Leadership must understand the
with third parties are important. However, link between their third-parties, internet-
when a paradigm shift is needed on a connected storage, and their confidential
mass scale this is easier said than done. data. The industry needs to start taking
The risks are always going to be there, slip third-party risk as seriously as it regards
ups will inevitably occur, after all we’re only purely external threats, and a good place
human. As unprotected files will ultimately to start would be implementing data risk
always be freely accessible out there, the management solutions that provide much
right questions to ask become: what is needed visibility to the large third-party
Understanding the timeline of a data available, on which scale, who can access blindspot.
breach it, and what can they do with it?
Quite often the timeline of a data breach We’ve seen cybersecurity
is quite long. It relates to activities that Visibility over this expanding digital is a topic of priority for
may have happened 6 to 12 months prior footprint is not as far away as it might seem.
to it coming to light. Every single data Innovative new solutions are addressing companies worldwide and a
breach begins with a flaw or vulnerability these questions head on by harnessing the rising matter in the Middle-
somewhere. Being informed of those power of artificial intelligence and bridging
negligence in real time when they occur the gap when it comes to third-party data East.. We witnessed the
completely changes the game and ensures leaks. Today it’s not just about protection Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
a real control over public data leak risk. but about how quickly you can detect and
respond. Every second counts when it hosting their first annual
The root cause of most 2019 data comes to the risks of data exposure. We Global Cybersecurity
breaches was negligence and unsecured know that when it comes to data exposure Forum to kick off the year.
databases... “which left sensitive customer incidents like this, it’s not a matter of if, but
data unprotected in the open wilds of the a matter of when. A monumental event for the
internet, to be bought and sold by hackers region and demonstration
who barely had to lift a finger to find it.” Final Thoughts
3
Increasingly complex supplier networks, of the willingness to
What are the risks of third-party leaks? together with a penchant for sharing take action and prioritize
It is clear that companies’ sensitive information rather than protecting it, are cybersecurity.
information is being exposed by third- spawning a rise in third-party data leaks.

3 https://www.cnet.com/news/2019-data-breach-hall-of-shame-these-were-the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-year/

119 FEBRUARY 2020