MARKET WATCH STUDY: HALF OF COMPANIES MISS CYBERSECURITY THREATS Businesses are missing cybersecurity threats to their own companies in a big way. The Ponemon Institute recently published a study showing nearly half of the 1,249 IT professionals surveyed say they have no way of identifying cybersecurity risks in the early stages. The study found that: • 53% of companies find it impossible or very difficult to prevent an insider attack when data is being aggregated, a key indicator of intent of an attack. • Only 32% of companies say their organizations are very or highly effective in preventing the leakage of sensitive information. • 15% of organizations state that no one has ultimate authority and responsibility for controlling and mitigating workforce risks. • Nearly half of companies find it impossible or very difficult to prevent an insider attack at the earliest stages of the Insider Threat Kill Chain. In observance of Insider Threat Awareness Month, cybersecurity company DTEX partnered with Ponemon to better understand the growing rate of risks, especially following major breaches like SolarWinds. Recent cybersecurity studies have shown a: • 450% increase in employees circumventing security controls to intentionally mask online activities. • 230% increase in behaviors indicating an intent to steal data.
COVID-RELATED FREIGHT CONSTRAINTS, LABOR COSTS CONTINUE TO PUSH ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS UPWARD The August 2021 headline IHS Markit PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index decreased 1.6 index points from July to 76.9, though construction costs continue to rise, according to IHS Markit and the Procurement Executive Group (PEG). For the ninth straight month, the materials and equipment sub-index remained above 50, indicating increasing prices, but the sub-index fell 4.9 points from last month to 78.7. The subcontractor labor index recorded 72.8, a 6.1 index point increase from the previous month, indicating a consensus for a quickening pace of labor costs increasing among respondents. In August, all categories within the materials and equipment index increased individually for the eighth straight month, as well,
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The study showed that security threats typically follow a recurring pattern. What they refer to as an Insider Threat Kill Chain includes five steps present in most attacks: 1. Reconnaissance: When preparing for data theft, a malicious insider typically begins with research. This is where they locate the data that they would like to steal, test security controls, or, in the case of compromised credentials, where the insider will test the limits of the stolen credentials privilege. 2. Circumvention: Any attempts to bypass existing security controls provide an important indication that subsequent actions were intentional. Many organizations place too much reliance on the “locks on their doors,” however an insider typically has sufficient domain knowledge to know which doors are unlocked or simply has access to the key. To read the rest, visit forconstructionpros.com/21648232.
though index levels have fallen further from peak levels experienced earlier in the year for most categories. • The sub-index for electrical equipment fell from 72.2 in July 2021 to 66.7 in August 2021. • The sub-index for transformers also fell from 72.2 in July to 70.0 in August. • Costs of ocean freight from both Europe and Asia to the United States officially increased for a continuous calendar year, though the pace of price increases are slowing. To read more, visit forconstructionpros.com/21627311.
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