Cybersecurity

Backup and cybersecurity go hand in hand. Regular backups are the last defense against downtime if data is corrupted in a cyberattack. In many organizations, however, backup systems and processes simply aren’t up to the task.

Recent ransomware attacks that disrupted city and county governments in Colorado, Georgia, Missouri and Pennsylvania highlight a worrisome trend of threats targeting public-sector organizations. Several new surveys note a sharp rise in attacks against federal, state and municipal agencies, school districts, and other public-sector organizations.

Cybercriminals are developing more sophisticated threats and using automation to launch them in high volumes. In response, organizations are adopting more security tools to help them detect and respond to these threats. The problem is that these disparate tools don’t talk to one another, making it difficult to get a holistic view of the organization’s overall security posture. This challenge is driving increased adoption of security information and event management (SIEM) tools.

Growing numbers of artificial intelligence-based threats are expected to create unprecedented challenges for most organizations in the coming year. The FBI recently warned that businesses, governments and individuals should anticipate “alarming” increases in AI-powered threats over the coming months.