25 Years of Security: does history matter?

25 Years of Security: does history matter? 

Since WatchGuard was founded in 1996, we have helped our customers and channel partners stay ahead of the cyber threats who seek to gain access to their networks and data. Back then, headlines of major security attacks and breaches came with less frequency, and the attackers were less sophisticated. It’s quite different today. Nation states organised crime groups use cyber attacks to target governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and more.

These threats are powerful and wide-reaching. According to The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2021 Report, “Among the highest likelihood risks of the next ten years are extreme weather, climate action failure and human-led environmental damage; as well as digital power concentration, digital inequality and cybersecurity failure.” To develop the best strategies for stopping these attacks, it’s useful to better understand how cybercriminals have evolved and how have their motives changed.

WatchGuard’s new eBook, 25 Years of Security, is not a comprehensive attack history but a fast-paced chronicle of some of the most successful hacks of all time, why each one mattered and what we learned (or should have learned) from it. Don’t think of this as just old news – it’s well worth looking at the threat intelligence we’ve gained about the most dangerous and widespread malware by analyzing past attacks. Many of them are still around in some form so they are relevant and security-strategy worthy. The biggest threat to your network in 2022 may well be a danger that’s been percolating for years.