Ask most security researchers, and they will tell you that the biggest threat to an organization os the insider threat. Year after year, however, there is very little evidence to back that up, depending on how you define “biggest.” A recent study on the cost of cyber-crime and the root cause shows that the biggest threat, in terms of dollars, is Web-based, with malicious insiders falling in third place. Out of the companies targeted in the study, 100% of them were victimized by Web attacks.

According to the study, the ability to mitigate Web attacks, however, remains disproportionately ineffective compared to the ability to defend against malware and viruses. Organizations are still better (read faster) at responding to viruses and malware on the desktop.

One possible reason is anther fact the study unveiled; we also don't seem to put a lot of budget into Web protection. There are simply not a lot of products to protect either clients or servers from Web-based threats, and only a very precious few of those existing products actually offer much real protection.

Organizations and agencies should take a close look at HYDRA from Sentinel Security Corporation. HYDRA provides simple to manage protection from Web-based threats, and with any luck, we can start to turn the tide by using HYDRA in critical networks, which could save our economy, according to the survey, hundreds of millions of dollars annually, not to mention sticking it to the bad guys!