When it comes to cybersecurity the telecommunications sector is widely viewed as one of the most vulnerable to cyber security attacks. According to a recent report from Efficient 43% of telecommunication organisations have suffered a DNS-malware based attack. It was also found that on average, telecoms only applied 4 of the 11 critical patches recommend by the ISC in 2016, making them particularly susceptible to zero-day attacks.

The Big Cyber Security Risks:

With telecom companies having large customer bases, there are abundant opportunities for ‘malicious actors’ to gain unauthorized access to their data. Mobile devices, for instance, provide a huge area of vulnerability, as do home routers and unsecure mobile apps. The damages that could be caused by an attack by cyber criminals could potentially involve:

• Credit Card and ID theft
• Damage to websites
• Loss of reputation

If an attack were to occur on a major telecom provider infrastructure, the consequences would be far-reaching, and could potentially impact a whole country, with businesses, consumers and government agencies likely affected. Such an attack would have major ramifications for the telecom brand’s reputation and trust worthiness.

How Telecom Companies Can Improve Security:

Effective security can be maintained by keeping pace with the technological advancements in the world of data security, and by adhering to the rapidly evolving compliance landscape. Remember, security technology that may have been effective yesterday may not be of use for today’s problems.

Malicious actors attack from multiple angles, leverage vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and our own human impulses. By adopting a holistic approach to cyber security, telecom providers would be more able to mitigate the threats posed by the security vulnerabilities inherent to their industry. A holistic cyber security program should cover areas such as:

• Threat detection
• Prevention measures
• Incident response methods

Achieving Equilibrium:

With privacy becoming increasingly important to consumers – telecommunication brands can utilize fit for purpose tools to strike a balance between data protection and digital ambition. Find out more from Protegrity’s executive brief – Achieving equilibrium in the telecommunication industry, which shows you how your telecom organization can monetize sensitive data without compromising privacy.