Cybersecurity Protection

 

Cybersecurity Protection

2020 is being a difficult year. As Mexico grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens are also facing dangerous viruses and computer attacks that are spreading rapidly across the Internet. The human virus has led to an unprecedented growth in telecommuting, e-commerce and online learning. Unfortunately, this has also exposed citizens and businesses to a higher risk of cyberattacks. In the first 9 months of 2020, Internet users in homes across Latin America suffered more than 20.5 million cyberattacks. Brazil and Mexico suffered the highest number of attacks. However, Argentina and Colombia have the highest "hazard coefficient," a term coined to represent the probability that an Internet user will become a victim of cybercrime. However, recent research on consumers shows that growing cyber threats also create a new business opportunity for telecommunications companies in Mexico. Allot recently commissioned Coleman Parkes Research to conduct a survey of Internet users in Mexico found that the97% of consumers believe that their telecommunications service provider (CSP) should also provide cybersecurity and 2/3 of subscribers said they would switch providers to be on a network that provides security as a service.

303,430 Mexican companies affected by ransomware

The report also states that the majority of data hijacking attacks - known as ransomware - in Latin America are concentrated on companies in Brazil (47%), Mexico (23%) and Colombia (8%). The region is at high risk of data hijacking, with an estimated 66% of computers containing pirated software, a common source of ransomware infection. The rise of working from home during the COVID-19 crisis opens up a vast new attack surface as virtual workers open up the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that allows cybercriminals to take possession of your desktop working to carry out ransomware attacks. The damage caused by these attacks is double. According to the report, the payment to cybercriminals is on average $ 84,000, but it can reach tens of millions of dollars in cases of large companies. Add to that the damage to the company's reputation, valued at an average of $ 700,000. It is clear that all companies must take serious measures to prevent data hijacking.

Consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico are vulnerable to attacks

The prevalence and severity of the danger posed by cybercrime is not in question. However, how to effectively protect tens of millions of users remains an open question. There are several leading security vendors and hundreds of startups working hard to keep up with cybercriminals and develop effective cybersecurity solutions. So why are so many private citizens and small businesses still vulnerable? The high-tech solutions employed by large corporations are simply not accessible to the general population. Home users and small businesses cannot afford to hire an in-house IT security team to implement a full suite of technologies, monitor malicious activity and perform routine maintenance. As a result, they remain easy targets for cybercriminals.

Who should provide cyber security?

In a recent survey conducted by Allot and Coleman Parkes Research, 700 Internet users in Mexico were asked: "Do you think the telecommunications service provider should provide you with a security solution?" and an overwhelming 97% said yes. 74% think it should be part of their contracted package, 14% said it should be as a value-added service, and 9% believe that service providers should offer cybersecurity protection for a single price. This overwhelming response rate may come as a surprise to some CSPs who find security outside of their core offering and brand. However, if we take a moment to really listen to consumers, understand their concerns and the challenges they face in trying to implement a reliable solution on their own, we discover a significant unmet need that CSPs are perfectly suited to satisfy.

Strong indicators of high penetration rates of network-based cybersecurity services in Mexico

The mass market-based, network-based cybersecurity services, pioneered by Allot, present a new way to effectively deliver comprehensive, large-scale cybersecurity protection across the CSP network. Managing cybersecurity at the network level provides the best possible protection without requiring any action from the customer. Without downloading. Not configured. The network is also very cost effective and therefore can offer much better protection at a fraction of what it costs to buy other traditional solutions. Allot Network Secure has been very successful across Europe, where CSPs have penetration rates between 15% and 35%, and on the rise. But nevertheless, the latest research on consumption in Mexico shows that there are possibilities for even higher rates to be achieved in this market. In addition to 97% saying they believe their CSP should provide security, 2/3 of subscribers said they would switch providers to be on a network that provides security as a service (SECaaS). This is a very strong indication that Mexico and Latin America could turn out to be one of the world's strongest network-based cybersecurity markets yet.

 

Unfulfilled enthusiastic need in the market

While CSPs invest heavily in consumer research to stay informed about their customers' satisfaction with basic phone and data service, it is much more difficult to predict new emerging trends. What will be the next customer demand? How can a CSP differentiate itself from its competitors? This latest research shows that the only reason that users in Mexico are not demanding security from their provider is because they still do not know that such a possibility exists. However, when they learn about this possibility, they respond with overwhelming enthusiasm. Now only one question remains: “Which CSP will take the first step to bring cyber security services on the network to the Mexican market?