Cybercrime’s Paralyzed Prey

Come Fall, hunting season is upon us and varies by state, for the purpose of wildlife preservation and taking into consideration a region’s limiting factors such as disease, food, water supply fluctuation, predators, and urban development. What a shame – that cybercrime doesn’t have a set of standards that control which and when ‘targets’ may be hunted and pillaged!

Likening the hunt, where marksmen hope to fill their freezers – to Cybercrime, where cybercriminals wait for their malware to infect and steal data – runs the parallel that both take down their target, for better (food) or for worse (cyber-theft).

Nature provides some interesting examples that contrast those animals that become dinner and those who utilize their natural camouflage and built-in awareness to escape a gruesome end.  Many animals know when they’re being watched. See which of these examples your leadership’s approach to cybersecurity resembles:

• Deer…

Like most prey animals, deer have eyes on the side of their head and are able to view their surroundings. Predators tend to have their eyes on the front of their heads; this improves their depth perception. Deer, when spotting a predator, will often stand still and carefully watch — unless they see both of the predator’s eyes. Surmising that they may be the prey, the deer quickly leave the area.

• Rats …

Two rats are put into a crate and scurry about, discovering their new surroundings. They are excited, curious, and completely oblivious to the fact that they share the space with a Python resting in a corner of the crate. Upon noticing the rats, the Python slowly uncoils at a patient pace. The rats don’t even notice the movement until the snake strikes and encircles the first rat, which it calmly devours. The other rat, knowing that it can’t get out of the crate, watches in perfect stillness hoping it won’t be the Python’s next meal.

• Quail …

In late summer, before hunting season begins, quail react to predators by lying motionless on the ground. They don’t use their wings to escape until later in the year. Many youngsters, while sharpening their field craft, catch quail with their caps and examine the small birds before releasing them.  But rolling over and “playing dead” can lead to a quail’s demise.

• Mocking J’s, Pigeons….

Some birds play the “broken wing feint” to protect their young. When the fledgling takes its first flight, often landing in an awkward way that attracts the attention of passing predators, the mother bird will fly from her perch and hop about while flapping a wing to feign injury and to lead predators away from the baby bird. “Mother” hopes to distract with her act, so that “baby bird” gets back to safety in the interim.

Whether you and your team are scurrying to safeguard the company with limited cyber-resources and miss the “Python” going after his payload on your network; or you’re lying motionless in hopes you won’t be noticed or swallowed up in spite of your missing offense plan; or you’re busy with distraction exercises that convince management, customers and suppliers that your cyber-safeguards are sufficient with time to ‘get away’ if needed to salvage any compromising position you may find yourselves in….

know this: There’s a better way to secure your company’s data, operations, and future.

Cybersecurity experts are yours to leverage, containing threats against you, the target. Choose that path today and be the prey that got away!  

Data-Guard 365 … an MSSP firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and other strategic locations across the globe. The company is a one-of-a-kind business partner whose people, processes, and technology provide invincible cyber security for a price point that pays for itself.

www.Data-Guard365.com / (317) 967-6767 / info@data-guard365.com