The so-called “hacktivist” group known as Anonymous has made headlines recently after targeting well-known companies and government agencies. But do regular small and mid-sized businesses need to worry about those hackers and similar groups? Yes, according to most IT professionals.
Some of Anonymous’s most publicized attacks have been carried out against the FBI, the Motion Picture Association of America, Visa and MasterCard. However, most IT professionals worry that their organizations could also be the targets of hackers with political motivations, according to a recent survey sponsored by security vendor Bit9.
In general, IT pros are worried about hackers, as 64% of the 2,000 surveyed said they believe their organization will the target of an attack within the next six months. And 61% of them said hacktivists will be the most likely actors.
Anonymous and similar groups were chosen as the biggest security threat out there right now, ahead of cybercriminals, nation states, corporate competitors and disgruntled employees.
However, Bit9 points out that ranking likely has more to do with Anonymous’s presence in the news than the actual size of the threat. Security researchers warned that most organizations are still more likely to be targeted by criminals, data thieves and other hackers with financial motivations.