Email and Removable Devices Are Chief Security Risks

According to an article in Security Boulevard, email is the most significant threat vector of a corporate network, and should be a priority when setting up a risk management strategy. Criminals know that millions of emails are constantly in circulation and offer the simplest route into a target organization’s network. The most lethal danger in emails is the malware content hidden in file attachments. IBM banned the use of removable devices recently, a smart move according to the author, who calls USB sticks and flash drives “a genuine threat” because they are in mass use, easily loaded with malware and commonly handed out at trade events or used to transport documents between home and the workplace. Banning them removes the threat of physical introduction and subsequent lateral movement of malware by users outside an organization’s network, and shuts off one of the primary avenues used by criminals and hackers to steal, destroy or ransom important data.