The media industry is the most vulnerable to cyber attacks, report shows

The media sector is more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Every MediaTech application examined in 2022 had an average of 3.75 significant vulnerabilities discovered, according to the recently published State of Penetration Testing as a Service report. With an average of 1.5 serious vulnerabilities discovered for each client application over the same time period, the data & analytics sector came in second. Per client application, 0.9 significant vulnerabilities were found across all industries.

The most serious type of application security risk is posed by critical vulnerabilities, which comprise classes of flaws including SQL injection (SQLi), remote code execution (RCE), command injections, and unauthorised administrative host/application access. A list of the most prevalent and serious vulnerabilities that affect software programs nowadays is also defined by the “OWASP Top 10”.

Critical vulnerabilities put businesses at high risk because they are simple to attack and would cause serious harm if used by a malevolent hacker. Unauthorized disclosure of private information, access to private client data, and control over internal systems are all undesirable outcomes. Therefore, it is advised that most businesses rectify these issues no later than five days after learning about them.

Based on findings from client testing in 2021 and 2022, the study was published by Ottawa-based penetration testing company Software Secured. The report’s objective is to aid security and compliance team leaders in understanding the biggest threats to their software in the coming year. The research offers explanations of the vulnerabilities found as well as suggestions for businesses looking to keep one step ahead of hackers. Additional information gleaned from their reporting includes:

• Increase in critical-level SQL injection attacks by 250% compared to 2021
• Increase in high-severity Denial of Service (DoS) attacks by 133% compared to 2021
• Cross-site scripting (XSS) findings remain the most common critical vulnerability for two years in a row

Penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) is a comprehensive security assessment that is proven to help companies secure their applications, significantly decreasing the likelihood of cyber attacks