It takes a cyber community to prevent online attacks

IN the wake of the September 2001 attacks, firms around the world turned their attention to enhancing physical security as part of a steadfast commitment to mitigating risk. At the time, many organisations established redundant data centres to protect against the potential for the loss of a physical location and to ensure continued business operations.

Fast forward to the November 2014 Sony Pictures hack, and cyber security was once again in the spotlight - gaining board-level attention and increased focus from risk management professionals around the globe. Many companies rushed to secure their firewalls and update their antivirus utilities as the significant financial and reputational damage at Sony became clear. Cyber perimeter defence was redoubled, and firms began to recognise the importance of sharing cyber-threat information.

Just two years later, the cybersecurity model continues to evolve. Today, it has moved beyond perimeter defence, with the monitoring of internal systems for anomalous behaviour - be it malicious or simple lax practices by well-meaning employees - becoming increasing important.