The Ashley Madison Aftermath: Cyber Attacks and the Need for Cyber Governance
Pathlock
January 20, 2016
The Ashley Madison Aftermath: Cyber Attacks and the Need for Cyber Governance
While most consumers enjoy the many benefits of an online service, there are still many risks and potential disadvantages if a company is not properly prepared for impending cyber attacks. Since the July 2015 cyber attack on Ashley Madison, an online dating service specifically designed for married individuals, most of the media attention has nearly disappeared. However, the lasting effects to both users and the company itself are monumental.
Cyber attacks, as orchestrated by “The Impact Team,” exposed the identities of countless users online, including reality celebrities and politicians, ruining a great deal of marriages and careers. But Ashley Madison’s users were not the only ones affected.
Cyber attacks damage company’s financial future
Cyber Attacks cause site traffic to plummet from 171 million in June to 31 million in December. Source: SimilarWeb
Reports have come to light that the online dating service has taken a tremendous hit. Since the attack in July, global web traffic for the site has dropped 82 percent. According to the International Business Times, Ashley Madison has seen a drop from 171 million users in June to only 31 million users in December. Prior to the attack, Canada and the United States had the most users, with the United States accounting for 28 percent of the entire global web traffic. Today, however, the United States accounts for only 4.6 percent of the online dating service providers global web traffic.
Losing web traffic is not the only obstacle Ashley Madison is facing, as two Canadian law firms have filled a 578 million dollar class action lawsuit against the company for not protecting their users information. Ashley Madison is just one of the reasons that companies need to utilize technologies and implement a cyber security plan as part of their cyber governance strategy to proactively prevent and predict against cyber threats.
Cyber Governance is playing an increasingly important role for organizations globally, and data privacy is top of mind for all executives. With cyber attacks dominating headlines, just like the Ashley Madison cyber attack, reputations are at risk, and companies are facing the possibility of severe fines, penalties, and lawsuits – not to mention the financial and brand damage that can occur as a result of a data breach.
The best equipped businesses are evolving their cyber security strategy and recognize that having cyber security solutions in place is simply not enough to protect your business. A holistic and evolving roadmap – not just methodology – to manage cyber security threats from the top down is critical to not only the success of the organization, but demonstrates due diligence from the C-Suite and Board level, and instills confidence in customers and investors.
Pathlock Technologies’ robust, intuitive, and integrated Cyber Governance Solution is the program C-Suite, IT Executives, and Board Members alike utilize to fulfill their Cyber Security Governance Objectives.
IT Executives no longer have to face uncertainty or wait for manual logs and reports; which are essentially outdated as soon as you print them out. A Cyber Security Governance Solution will further enhance your network security, and offers access to relevant, practical, and easy-to-read dashboard reports in real-time.
The role of the Executive team is to ensure that your organization takes a Proactive, Preventative, and Predictive approach towards cyber governance and enhances your IT Governance and Cyber Governance best practices.
Cyber attacks are no longer an IF but WHEN situation, consider learning more about the Pathlock Cyber Governance Solution for your business.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.