When threats escalate, CISOs need to call in the cavalry

Attacks have gotten out of hand

No amount of emphasis can truly demonstrate how dangerous the current threat landscape is. According to the latest ransomware report by Sophos, the average ransomware demand has now reached $1 million, while average recovery costs stand at $1.5 million.

However, that’s not all. Some organizations are paying even higher than the average ransom to recover their data. The costs of service disruption, financial losses, and regulatory penalties add further to a CISO’s misery. When you peel back the layers, the report reveals two key takeaways for businesses:

The top root cause of ransomware attacks is vulnerability(ies).

Most organizations fall victim due to a lack of people or skills.

One of the largest data breaches ever

Imagine not having the right threat detection tool and facing a full-blown cyber attack, that’s a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Change Healthcare, a U.S.-based global healthcare technology provider.

In 2024, Change Healthcare faced one of the world’s most devastating data breaches, orchestrated by the BlackCat hacker group. The attackers stole ~6 TB of data, impacting millions of patients, providers, and payers. The company, a key infrastructure provider for claims, authorizations, and eligibility verification, had to shut down critical systems to contain the threat. The breach disrupted care workflows, billing operations, and reimbursements nationwide.

According to reports, the company coughed up $22 million in ransom payments, while total losses from downtime, recovery, and rebuilding exceeded $1 billion. The breach is said to have impacted nearly 190 million Americans in some way.

Dire need for protection, detection, and response

Investigations revealed that attackers exploited compromised credentials and accessed systems that lacked multi-factor authentication (MFA). Once inside, they moved laterally through the network, wreaking havoc along the way.

This incident and many others highlight a stark reality: organizations often lack the capability to prevent, detect, and respond effectively. They either don’t have the right tools or lack the skilled experts to operate them, especially when AI is changing how threats are being dealt with.

For instance, the ‘ransomware rollback’ feature in advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions can instantly restore encrypted data. In Change Healthcare’s case, such a capability could have dramatically reduced downtime and damage.

A resilient cyber defense demands the trifecta of protection, detection, and response. Protection ensures robust controls like MFA, Zero Trust access, and encryption are always active. Detection identifies anomalies before they escalate, while rapid response isolates and remediates threats, nipping attacks in the bud.

AI-powered threat detection, for instance, continuously learns from millions of data points to recognize new attack patterns and respond autonomously – capabilities that few organizations can sustain internally.

Finding the right security partner

However, building this trifecta in-house is challenging. CISOs face global shortages of skilled security professionals (over 4.7 million jobs remain unfilled), ever-evolving threats, and escalating technology costs. Outsourcing to a seasoned security provider (or MSSP) offers instant access to top talent, advanced tools, and proven frameworks.

T-Systems, as a trusted global security partner securing IT & OT infrastructures, combines human intelligence with automation through its advanced Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services. By integrating AI analytics, threat intelligence, and 24×7 monitoring, T-Systems empowers CISOs to stay one step ahead of adversaries, ensure compliance, and achieve measurable ROI; turning cyber defense from a cost center into a strategic advantage.

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