Most security threats are “well-known” says HP

An annual cyber-security report by technology firm HP has found that despite advancements in cyber attacks, the majority of cyber-security incidents in 2014 took advantage of well-known vulnerabilities that have existed for years.

The report, which looked at a range of business that had their security compromised in the least year, found that many of the issues which led to their security breaches are not new developments and that they exploited code written years or even decades earlier.

“We can’t lose sight of defending against these known vulnerabilities by entrusting security to the next silver bullet technology; rather, organisations must employ fundamental security tactics to address known vulnerabilities and in turn, eliminate significant amounts of risk,” explained Art Gilliland, senior vice president and general manager of Enterprise Security Products, HP.

The report also went on to suggest that server misconfigurations were among the top vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers and recommended that administrators regularly update their systems in order to stay protected.

It also recommended that businesses and organisations employ a comprehensive and timely patching strategy to keep up to date with the latest advancements in security protections and to reduce the likelihood of attacks succeeding.

As the technologies employed by cyber criminals become ever-more sophisticated, it is critical that business owners stay up-to date with the latest technologies to keep their businesses safe and protected.

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