Survey Finds Media and Entertainment Firms Suffered Three or More Cyber Attacks Over 12-Month Period
Hikvision Offers Tips to Prevent Malware, Cyberattacks
A survey by Forrester Consulting found that more than half of media and entertainment firms experienced three or more cyberattacks in a 12-month period, according to an article in Security magazine.
From the article: “Media and entertainment firms are uniquely vulnerable to cybercrime. High-profile products and complex production processes, coupled with the media and entertainment industry’s extensive use of outside vendors, give cyber criminals more opportunities to attack. The survey’s findings reflect the severity of these risks, with one-third of the survey respondents reporting that they are either skeptical or not confident that their vendors’ cybersecurity strategies would protect their intellectual property and assets.”
Additional highlights from the survey included:
- Hacking cyberattacks included viruses, phishing schemes, and data breach
- Sixty-four percent of respondents plan to increase their cybersecurity investment
- Forty percent are either not insured or not covered for cyber incidents with their current insurance policy
Hikvision has numerous online resources that offer cybersecurity tips for partners, helping them to reduce security concerns, and prevent malware and other cyberattacks.
Top Five Tips to Prevent Malware Attacks
In a recent blog, Hikvision’s director of cybersecurity offered the following tips to reduce vulnerabilities and prevent malware attacks:
- Use firewalls and firebreaks (network segmentation): Place devices behind firewalls to protect them from untrusted networks, such as the Internet. And, use network segmentation—splitting a network into separate networks that are isolated, not connected—so a compromise in one part of the network won’t compromise the other (i.e. human resources and finance).
- Protect your computer from vulnerabilities: Clean up your computer by removing old software programs no longer in use, and make sure to install patches regularly. Updating firmware safeguards equipment by patching known vulnerabilities often adds features and sometimes will improve system performance. Hikvision provides firmware update information on its website.
- Reset default passwords and use complex passwords: Users should be required to change any default passwords to a strong password with at least eight characters, and at least one of each of the following: numbers, special characters, and uppercase and lowercase letters. Ideally, your password should be at least 12 characters and not used anywhere else. To manage all your complex, unique passwords, use a password manager. They not only store all your passwords but will help you create great passwords that you never have to remember.
- Manage your router: Earlier this year, the FBI recommended that everyone reboot all home routers and small office routers. In a previous blog on the subject, Davis stated that “rebooting will disable the active malware called 'VPNFilter' which has infected hundreds of thousands of routers across the Internet, and it will help the FBI assess the extent of the infection.” While this was an isolated incident in time, it was a good example of why we need to actively manage and patch our routers.
- Run active scans and updates: When a computer notifies you of an available update, run it immediately. In addition, you can actively run malware and vulnerability scans for network devices. If you do get infected with malware, backup your data and re-install the operating system.
Click here to read the Security magazine article, “Media and Entertainment Industry Unprepared for Cyber Risks.” For more cybersecurity tips from Hikvision, visit this link.