Software developers at biggest risk of cybersecurity breaches

Software development companies are among the most at risk from breaches, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Foxtech.

The research used cyber risk scores, calculated using publicly available information and an analysis of a wide range of cyber security indicators, as an indicator of how high or low the risk of a potential cybersecurity breach is for a company.

Software development companies top the list with an average cyber risk score of 166, followed by publishing (152), research (115), transportation, trucking and railroad (111) and civil engineering (102).

Anthony Green, CTO and cyber crime expert at FoxTech says, "We audited hundreds of companies across a wide range of sectors and found that while industries such as banking (cyber risk score six) and performing arts (cyber risk score five) are at very low risk of a potential attack, other industries fell woefully short when it came to ensuring their cyber protection was up to scratch."

On average, hackers will spend 207 days between breaching a company's IT security and exploiting it. Green says this shows that it's a gradual process rather than something that happens overnight, "The fact that hackers are going undetected for more than half a year tells us that there is time to prevent cyber attacks from occurring and an opportunity to protect companies and their customers on a much higher level -- so long as businesses are aware of the potential weaknesses in their systems and how they can fix them, even if a hacker is already gathering what they need."

FoxTech can help businesses audit their systems to obtain their own cyber risk score. You can get in touch via their website.

Image credit: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock