Half of enterprise organisations have suffered a malware breach in the last two years
Survey commissioned by Malwarebytes also finds:
· 74 per cent of organisations that have experienced a successful malware attack in the last two years have succumbed to multiple malware threats within this period
· In most cases, once malware is on a network it takes hours to detect a threat; in some cases days, weeks or months
London, UK. July 24th, 2013 — According to a survey of IT and information security professionals commissioned by anti-malware provider Malwarebytes, 49 per cent of enterprise organisations (1,000 employees or more) in North America have suffered from a successful malware breach in the last two years.
The survey, which focused on Advanced Malware Protection and Detection and was conducted by IT analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), also found that, of those affected, 74 per cent had suffered multiple malware breaches, with 6 per cent admitting to ‘more than 100’ successful breaches.
The survey results also show that IT and information security professionals who have been a victim of a successful malware attack in the last two years believe that a lack of knowledge amongst non–IT employees was the main reason the attack was successful. In addition, respondents also cited the increased use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter in the office as well as the introduction of bring your own device (BYOD) policies, which makes it harder for security and IT operations staff to control and secure endpoint systems, as reasons for these attacks’ success.
In general, the majority (57 per cent) of respondents claimed it takes hours to detect that an IT asset has been compromised by malware, while 19 per cent of respondents stated it takes days to detect the threat. Of the 315 people surveyed, 74 per cent have increased their investment in security in the wake of high-profile advanced persistent threats, targeted attacks and hacktivism.
Commenting on the survey’s outcomes, Marcin Kleczynski, CEO at Malwarebytes said:
“With so many companies admitting to being breached, multiple times, data security is clearly being compromised on an industrial scale.”
“As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, IT security professionals are realising that relying on only one layer of endpoint security isn’t enough. Each endpoint needs multiple layers of malware detection to ensure complete protection. The reality is, most anti-virus products will miss nine out of 10 zero-day malware threats, and having a layered approach blocks advanced threats that traditional anti-virus scanners may fail to detect.”
“Often the biggest vulnerability in an organisation is employees. Educating employees on potential threats and how to avoid them should be made a priority.”
About Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes provides software designed to protect consumers and businesses against malicious threats that consistently escape detection by other antivirus solutions. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro, the company’s flagship product, employs a highly advanced behavior-based detection engine that has removed over five billion malicious threats from computers worldwide. Founded in 2008, the self-funded company is headquartered in California, operates offices in Europe, and employs a global team of researchers and experts. For more information, please visit us at www.malwarebytes.org.
