Skip to content
Tiatra, LLCTiatra, LLC
Tiatra, LLC
Information Technology Solutions for Washington, DC Government Agencies
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
 
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact

Why CISOs Are Looking to Lateral Security to Mitigate Ransomware

Findings from two eye-opening surveys conducted by VMware show that ransomware remains a top concern for enterprises worldwide. As IT and security leaders and chief information security officers (CISOs) look for answers, many are turning to deeper deployment and investment in lateral security tools.

What is lateral security?  It leverages both access control and advanced threat prevention strategies and consists of a set of systematic, omnipresent tools deployed between the perimeter and endpoints. Key lateral security tools include:

  • Network segmentation
  • Micro-segmentation
  • Advanced threat prevention capabilities such as intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS)
  • Network sandboxes
  • Network traffic analysis/network detection and response (NTA/NDR)

Ransomware By the Numbers

To understand the value of lateral security tools, it’s important to first assess the current state of ransomware. The number of attacks continues to grow unabated, with a 13% increase from 2020 to 2021—a larger increase than the previous five years combined.

This trend was echoed in a 2022 VMware survey of 200 IT and security leaders in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Approximately one-third of the survey respondents work for a company with 1,001 to 5,000 employees, one-third represent companies with 5,001 to 10,000 employees, and one-third represent companies with more than 10,000 employees.

VMware

More than two-thirds (68%) of the respondents reported that their organization experienced at least one ransomware incident (whether successful or not) in the previous 24 months.

Of those reporting attacks, 42% said they suffered at least three incidents (whether successful or not). In addition to attacks on their own organizations, 55% of respondents are aware of three to six peer organizations that suffered at least one ransomware attack in the last 24 months.

Second Survey Focuses on Lessons Learned Following a Ransomware Attack

In a follow-up survey, VMware explored how security professionals whose organization experienced a ransomware incident in the last three years responded to the attack and what they changed in the aftermath. Isolating in on three core areas—people, process, and technology — the findings shed light on where security leaders believe they were underprepared and the steps they planned to take to address their gaps.

While most respondents reported their organizations had identity and access management and server endpoint protection/detection and response technologies in place before the ransomware incident, fewer had segmentation and advanced threat prevention tools deployed.

VMWare

Key Finding: The Flat Network

We interpret the findings on segmentation technologies to mean that a significant portion of the networks within respondents’ organizations was flat—including the area of the network that was hit by the ransomware. Flat networks provide no barrier against attackers that first compromise a lightly defended low-value system and then move laterally to infiltrate higher-value systems.

The bottom line is that network segmentation, micro-segmentation, and other essential lateral security tools were not deployed pervasively, leaving gaps in protection that attackers could exploit. It’s no surprise then that those organizations report an increase in interest in these types of tools after the ransomware incident.

Eliminating the Blind Spots with Lateral Security

As we all know, a successful ransomware attack can be devasting for companies, with an economic, operational, and reputational impact that requires extensive containment and recovery actions to restore systems and data.

Those IT and security leaders who are looking to improve their defenses are placing a sharper focus on the set of tools that make up lateral security. These technologies, when used in concert with each other, can eliminate the blind spots that prevent organizations from detecting threats as they move laterally through the infrastructure.

VMWare

Read our new white paper for a deeper dive into why and how CISOs and other IT and security leaders are deploying lateral security tools to effectively protect their organizations.

Download Now

Click here to Learn more.

VMware
Read More from This Article: Why CISOs Are Looking to Lateral Security to Mitigate Ransomware
Source: News

Category: NewsMarch 21, 2023
Tags: art

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:The Era of Multi-Cloud Services Has ArrivedNextNext post:4 Factors That Influence Modern App Success in a Multi-Cloud Environment

Related posts

Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
May 30, 2025
Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
May 30, 2025
The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
May 30, 2025
Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
May 30, 2025
“AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
May 30, 2025
“ROI는 어디에?” AI 도입을 재고하게 만드는 실패 사례
May 30, 2025
Recent Posts
  • Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
  • Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
  • The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
  • Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
  • “AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
Recent Comments
    Archives
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    Categories
    • News
    Meta
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Tiatra LLC.

    Tiatra, LLC, based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, proudly serves federal government agencies, organizations that work with the government and other commercial businesses and organizations. Tiatra specializes in a broad range of information technology (IT) development and management services incorporating solid engineering, attention to client needs, and meeting or exceeding any security parameters required. Our small yet innovative company is structured with a full complement of the necessary technical experts, working with hands-on management, to provide a high level of service and competitive pricing for your systems and engineering requirements.

    Find us on:

    FacebookTwitterLinkedin

    Submitclear

    Tiatra, LLC
    Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.