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Software publishers are experiencing the sharpest increase in cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity is essential to maintain user confidence.
Ransomware, sensitive data theft, software tampering… The cyber risks facing software publishers are numerous. And in the event of an attack, the consequences can be disastrous: legal risks, financial losses, and damage to the company’s reputation. Software publishers are interested in investing in an efficient and sustainable cybersecurity policy to prevent risks and maintain customer trust. Here’s why.
Software publishers: prime targets for cyberattackers
While cybercrime continues to diversify and affect many organizations – almost one in two French companies suffered a cyberattack in 2022 (CESIN) – organizations are struggling to protect themselves adequately. Small and medium-sized enterprises (often less well-protected) and software publishers are in the cyberattacks line of fire. The Check Point Software 2022 report warns that software publishers are experiencing the sharpest increase in cyberattacks (+146% worldwide by 2020).
This is due not only to the short-sightedness of software publishers but also to the multiplicity of ways attackers can access information systems. There are two main vulnerabilities:
- The cloud: not very secure, but home to a wide range of sensitive data. For example, 90% of data stored in the AWS cloud is exposed to ransomware due to configuration problems (Ermetic).
- Rapid virus propagation: software is often deployed on multiple systems. This is particularly dangerous in the event of a cyberattack, as malware can spread very quickly, infecting many users. In July 2021, over 800 organizations were affected by the hacking of the Virtual System Administrator solution designed by Kaseya.
Cybersecurity: a critical factor in maintaining user trust
When a user – private or professional – invests in software, they expect a certain level of quality and security, including :
1. Protecting personal data
Software publishers have to process a great deal of data from their users. To be customers, users must trust the publisher’s ability to protect their data against privacy breaches, leaks, or hacking, even beyond the regulatory framework imposed by the GDPR. According to an IDC study, 80% of consumers in developed countries would abandon a company if a security breach compromised their information.
2. Software reliability
Users expect the solution to be reliable and available when they buy software. Publishers must, therefore, constantly ensure that their products are preserved, maintained, and altered, which could lead to user security problems or service disruptions.
3. Transparency
Users are increasingly demanding transparency. They also expect software publishers to communicate clearly how their software works: data collection, security practices, or updates. Open and honest communication helps build user trust, enabling them to understand and make informed decisions about software use.
For software publishers, cybersecurity is not a differentiating selling point but a prerequisite: users demand a certain level of protection. If this protection is compromised, software publishers expose themselves to adverse consequences for their business.
Cyberattacks: what are the risks for software publishers?
Software piracy can have several consequences:
- Regulatory: Numerous regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), impose strict data protection and cybersecurity requirements. Publishers expose themselves to regulatory sanctions if a cyberattack reveals non-compliance with these standards.
- Financial: in addition to putting the company’s activity on hold – which implies lost profits – the publisher risks losing specific customers that no longer trust them. They may also have to compensate them for the damage suffered due to the incident.
- Reputational: generally speaking, a publisher’s hacking causes a stir, especially when the software’s users feel the consequences. With its reputation tarnished, maintaining customer trust and winning over new ones will take much work.
As you can see, cyber risks for software publishers are far from insignificant, as they are a critical factor in user trust. The software purchase depends on the belief that users place in the solution. If they doubt the software’s security or reliability, they will be reluctant to use it. So, it’s essential to protect yourself!
Software publishers: how to protect against cyber threats?
To protect their solutions and maintain customer trust, software publishers can rely on various cybersecurity solutions to ensure their information systems’ ongoing security. But the first step to adequate protection is to audit procedures to identify vulnerabilities. There are several solutions available for this, including :
- Pentest as a Service: a security audit launched in less than a week for a flat fee. Uncover most of the vulnerabilities in a product and assess its security level at a given point in time, or schedule several pentests throughout your development life cycle as part of a DevSecOps approach.
- Bug bounty: a hunt for in-depth vulnerabilities with the elite hackers of the Yogosha Strike Force. Identify the most critical vulnerabilities on a pay-per-result basis. No vulnerabilities = no expenses, you only reward exploitable results.
Read also: Penetration Test vs Bug Bounty, which approach is right for you?
As a cybersecurity specialist, Yogosha helps software publishers protect their information systems. Designed as a VOC (Vulnerability Operations Center), Yogosha enables you to identify and manage vulnerabilities through Pentest and Bug Bounty operations. A dedicated platform also allows you to centralize and manage your cybersecurity strategies with complete simplicity.
Yogosha allows you test your Information System and assets, detect your vulnerabilities before malicious actors, prevent attacks and maintain your users’ confidence.
