In a recent survey of IT leaders by Info-Tech Research Group's Indaba Division, generic external threats such as malware, exploitable vulnerabilities, and phishing attempts were credited as the number one concern. To understand the magnitude of the problem, an analysis of some of the available data is necessary.
This research note examines the external threat landscape, looking specifically at trends in the following three areas and projecting accordingly:
- Malware trends.
- Vulnerability trends.
- Spam and phishing trends.
Only by becoming aware of the size and specific nature of the problems associated with external threats can small enterprises ensure that they are taking appropriate steps to protect themselves and their information assets.
