Page 46 - Cyber Defense eMagazine - September 2017

A New Approach is Essential in the Battle Against Cyberthreats

By Daniel Miller

Cyberthreats such as malware and ransomware traverse the globe each day and are designed
to get past even the most astute enterprise users. Clicking on seemingly legitimate links via
email or downloading files are everyday tasks; it is through these normal activities that hackers
gain entry to business-critical systems and wreak havoc.

New methods and variants of internet-borne threats are being launched daily, crippling
enterprises that rely heavily on the Web to conduct business. Just recently, LG Electronics
in South Korea became yet another victim of the infamous WannaCry ransomware attack. This
is one of hundreds if not thousands of incidents that are actually reported. According to research
firm Cybersecurity Ventures, global ransomware damages alone are predicted to top $5 billion
in 2017.

Organizations are spending staggering amounts of money on endpoint protection, to little or no
avail in preventing internet-borne threats. Traditional security applications such as antivirus,
firewalls, and other types of “detect and block” solutions are only reactive in scope, and provide
an inadequate degree of protection. Users are constantly interfacing with malicious content
hidden within seemingly innocuous links and downloads, requiring security and IT staff to seek
out more effective tools to mitigate the risk of malware or ransomware.

Downtime a Costly Concern

A significant negative effect of ransomware attacks is the employee downtime resulting from the
lack of system access. The Second Annual State of Ransomware Report conducted by
Osterman Research surveyed 1,054 companies of less than 1,000 employees each across
North America, APAC and Europe. The survey results indicated that more than one-third of
businesses experienced a ransomware attack in the last year. Twenty-two percent of impacted
businesses had to cease business operations immediately.

Unfortunately, it only takes one employee to click on an infected link or download a file
containing malware to compromise day-to-day operations. To build an effective defense-in-
depth security strategy, a new layer of security is necessary.

Browser Isolation, the Web’s Saving Grace

Secure remote browsing, otherwise known as browser isolation, offers an unparalleled
approach to Web security and endpoint protection, dramatically reducing the risk of malware or
ransomware infiltration. Implementing this using isolation technology easily integrates with
existing security frameworks, serving as an added layer of protection to eliminate enterprise
threats without compromising the user experience.

This unique technology provides organizations with a clientless solution that delivers the highest
level of security. In this manner, organizations can minimize the IT overhead and complexity
associated with incessant endpoint installs and updates, which are typically required to block
cyberthreats at the end-user device. Most importantly, users can browse the Internet seamlessly
the way they normally would, without noticing a difference. There is no performance degradation

46 Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2017 Edition
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