Customers expect 24/7 availability of services from any device, anywhere. Threat actors disrupt the flow of business with Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These campaigns are relatively easy to execute using third-party tools and services and are among the costliest attack type for firms to address. Increasingly, threat actors also target the social and mobile networks firms use to engage and support customers and run business operations.

Cybercriminals target financial institutions because that’s where the money is and there are many ways to profit. They are actively exploiting vulnerabilities in ATMs, while networks like SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) provide a means for criminal groups to steal directly from banks or surreptitiously shift money stolen from other sources.

Financial services firms use web applications to provide a wide array of online and digital services to employees and customers. These applications allow users to submit and retrieve data from databases using their browsers. Threat actors exploit vulnerabilities in these applications and the devices used to access them to infiltrate networks and systems and steal confidential data and money.