Security is always one of the most important concerns for any business, be it a local supermarket or a global consulting firm. In the digital age, this concern is multiplied due to the immense amount of information and sensitive data that is stored online or on servers. It is no wonder then that cybersecurity has emerged hugely and plays a vital role in keeping an organisation’s data safe.
Interestingly, a survey shows that the percentage of businesses that identified cyber attacks has gone down to 39% in 2021 and 2022 from a high of 46% in 2020. This could be attributed to enhanced cybersecurity.
Of course, there are some industries which are more vulnerable to being hacked as the regular cybersecurity measures might not be enough for them. Some of these are given below.
Healthcare
Medical records often contain sensitive information such as name, date of birth, medical history, address, and so on. Till the time these records were kept in paper format, it was not that easy to access them. However, with more and more such records being digitised every day, hospitals and healthcare facilities have become easy targets for cybercriminals.
Another entry point for hackers could be medical devices such as defibrillators. If they manage to take over these and other lifesaving machines, healthcare professionals would not be able to provide essential services. Ransomware is another such inlet. Through this, hackers can get rid of years of data which could put many patients at risk.
Gaming
To play any sort of game online, you have to provide certain permissions on your device. In some cases, these are very basic and won’t impact security much. However, some of the high-tech more complicated games require access to a whole lot of features on your device, such as the camera and microphone. This is potentially a risk as someone might hack into your device through the game or be able to watch you or listen to your conversations.
Some of the world’s largest casinos also face this potential threat. Some people might say that there is not one major casino, but rather the Internet can be considered the home to the biggest casino. After all, almost all the major land-based casinos are now online, apart from the hundreds of others that are exclusively online only. A huge amount of monetary transactions goes through these casinos which makes it more important to strengthen their cybersecurity. This is a vital way of maintaining good customer relations and keeping them safe at the same time.
Telecommunications
This is a big one as telecom companies are also at risk of being targeted for state-sponsored cyber attacks. Telecom (along with IT) are among the building blocks of crucial infrastructure. As a result, these companies store a lot of customer data and sensitive information. This makes them almost like gold mines for data. The attack could be directed either at the companies or the customers, which could be other businesses. Such an attack could have potentially large-scale ramifications for some countries too.
To conclude, while some industries are at higher risk of cybersecurity breaches, no company or individual is safe from them if they do not take the necessary measures. Keeping a check on small things like what permissions or consent you are giving can go a long way in keeping your data secure.