6 Industries That Need Dedicated Offensive Security Services

Malicious hacking is not the focus of offensive security, or OffSec as it is commonly shortened.

It's a proactive approach and collection of procedures used to improve an organization's cybersecurity posture by proactively identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before malevolent actors may take advantage of them. Finding vulnerabilities before the attacker does is the goal.

Let’s see what industries need dedicated OffSec services.

1.      Retail

What are the similarities between eBay, Equifax, Adobe, Target, Home Depot and Marriott? All of these businesses have had significant data breaches that have revealed the private information of millions of people.

Because they handle billions of payments daily, the retail and financial sectors are intertwined. They are a great target for a cyberattack since there are no industry-wide standards or regulations, and there are many distinct scenarios and technology in use.

Due to necessity, some large businesses, such as Amazon, will be at the forefront of cybersecurity. In addition to its retail division, Amazon also owns the Amazon Web Services infrastructure and all of its associated security.

However, smaller businesses also require a secure network and infrastructure, and a specialist who can visit a facility, audit it, make improvements, and protect it can be a significant help to a wide range of businesses worldwide.

2.      Software as a Service (SaaS)

As the software supply chain and in the vanguard of digital innovation, the SaaS and software sector is directly targeted by nation-state attackers and cybercriminals. Because a successful breach might have far-reaching and cascading implications, software companies have become prominent targets.

A single software provider being compromised can have disastrous effects on numerous businesses that depend on the compromised goods, as seen by recent high-profile breaches.

3.      Energy and Utilities

Powering nations depends on the industrial sector's energy and utilities. It is not impervious to the growing danger of cyberattacks, though.

An analysis projects that by 2031, the worldwide energy cybersecurity market would be worth $21.8 billion.

The figures highlight the double character of dangers, which include monetary losses and possible dangers to national security.

Comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks are essential to protect against ransomware, data breaches, and state-sponsored attacks as cybercriminals target critical infrastructure.

4.      Healthcare

This year has been the most stressful year for the global healthcare sector in decades. The healthcare system is already under a lot of strain from a pandemic that has been handled poorly.

A global movement to switch from paper records to electronic healthcare records systems is now underway.

Additionally, EHRs are not just any computer system. To handle a specific facility and its information, they must have a secure internal network. To communicate with other facilities in the same network, including connected hospitals and facilities close to hospitals, they must be networked.

When a patient relocates or their records are required in an out-of-network facility—possibly even outside of states or cities—they must be available and accessible to transfer data to other EHR systems.

5.      Manufacturing

Currently, the manufacturing sector is upgrading its production and supply chain procedures, mostly through digital transformation and the use of cloud-based systems, services, and products.

But as we witnessed with healthcare, this new digital expansion also carries a high amount of risk that lowers a company's security posture and makes them more vulnerable to cyberattacks, vulnerabilities, and unintentional accidents if offensive security and risk management aren't taken into account.

6.      Government

Although it may appear that various branches of government are always decades behind the current in terms of their procedures, they almost never overlook security.

Because the federal government is a prime target for some of the most advanced and high-level attacks available, it employs a significant number of cybersecurity specialists. Starting from scratch with cybersecurity training is crucial.

To keep up with the times, security rules are strict and constantly evolving. The more senior a position is, the more stringent the regulations and audits must be regarding technology.

Both on defense and on offense, the government employs some of the most talented cybersecurity experts.

Final Word

Cyberattacks on businesses that hold sensitive information indicate an impending threat. Certain businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the ongoing development and adoption of IoT devices and digital data storage.

Hence, offensive security must be protected immediately, according to the risk matrix of cyberattacks.