The number of cyber attacks is growing exponentially with ever-new threats and Italian companies are increasing investments in risk prevention, but are struggling to adapt to the rapid evolution of methods of attack. There were 1,670 cyber attacks carried out in 2019, with a growth percentage of 7.6% compared to 2018 and 91.2% compared to 2014, these are the data from the CLUSIT 2020 Report, the Italian Association for IT Security.
Campari is among the Italian companies to have suffered a cyber attack
On 1 November, the Italian-Dutch Campari group, owned by Lagfin S.C.A with 66%, which includes brands such as Aperol, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier, was hit by a hacker attack which knocked out its IT systems.
The company was hit by a variant of the RagnaLocker ransomware which, in addition to encrypting data, also copies and transfers it to servers in the hands of hackers. The 2 terabytes of highly sensitive stolen data included accounting files, bank statements, budgets and tax documents, intellectual property, proprietary business information, customer and employee personal data, and company agreements and contracts.
Campari said the process to restore IT services was more challenging than expected and that, in the meantime, other systems remain temporarily and deliberately suspended or operating with reduced functionality at multiple sites, adding that as a result of the longer recovery times than initially expected, what has happened is expected to have some temporary effect on the Group's financial performance.
The importance of security awareness
Like Campari, many companies have admitted that they are unprepared for a scenario like the current one, in which hacker attacks are also growing due to the sudden transition to smart working, comments Liviu Arsene, Global Cybersecurity Researcher at Bitdefender.
Companies, bodies and organizations are now aware of the risks deriving from data breach actions. Research drawn up by the Information Security & Privacy Observatory of the Polytechnic of Milan indicates that four out of ten large companies (39%) expect an increase in the number of roles that manage cyber security and almost half say that the number of figures responsible for managing privacy will increase (49%).
Come prepararsi alla sfida
Training is the first weapon against computer piracy. In fact, the Master in Cybersecurity & Defense, activated by the University of Catania in collaboration with Free Mind Foundry, responds to the growing demand for specialized figures in the field of data security. Unique in Sicily, the training course offers students excellent training that combines the best expertise of the University of Catania with the innovation of the technological Hub, allowing Master's students to use the latest generation hardware and software solutions present within the Campus.
Lutech, Spike Reply and Accenture are just some of the national and international companies that have recognized the quality of the Master, offering scholarships and expressing willingness to welcome students at the end of their specialization path. In fact, 25% of those enrolled in the course will be entitled to a scholarship to fully cover the cost of the Master.
The Master, starting in January 2021, is aimed at graduates or undergraduates from the faculties of Computer Science, Engineering, Law and Economics and will be delivered 100% in Live Virtual Training mode to guarantee real-time interaction between colleagues and teachers, just like in the classroom.
Fill out the form for more information on the program, registration and scholarships, or write to academy@freemindfoundry.com.