IT security firm ESET has announced its intention to aggressively target the enterprise market, underpinned by the rollout of a new consumer solution. The traditionally SME-focused company says the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and exponential growth in data volume has opened up businesses to more risk.

ESET is looking to capitalise on these commercial IT security trends to engage the highly competitive enterprise space and increase its position as the third largest endpoint security vendor in South Africa, according to the IDC and Gartner.

The security firm says any connected businesses in the digital age is far more exposed to external risks, including data theft, ID theft and extortion. This is exacerbated by the continued risk, within the company, posed by BYOD, offsite internet connectivity and access to the corporate network.

The company has now launched a consumer offering to assist users to combat cyber-related challenges within several areas, including online banking, smart devices (IoT), privacy, children online, social engineering, data breaches and ransomware.

At the launch of its latest consumer offering and media briefing on the cyber crime situation, ESET and its reseller partner &  IT security solutions distributor Synapsys Systems suggested that the vulnerable component within the overall corporate security strategy is, in fact, the individual.

"You are the biggest risk. Taking a responsible approach means that the chances of being hit with a blanket attack, for example, are far less than someone who is blase'," said data security expert Peter French from Synapsys Systems.

French said all data is valuable and to gage the value, consumers should ask themselves 'what would happen if this information fell into the wrong hands?'

Ransomware increase

Ransomware, he said, remains the most prevalent threat to personal data today. According statistics referenced by the company there has been a 2500% increase in cases involving ransomware in 2017, with individuals targeted every 10 seconds and businesses every 40 seconds.

French referenced the Mirai botnet malware DDoS attack that hit parts of the US and Europe last year, as well as the impact of WannaCry incident as evidence of the growing threat to the security and stability of businesses.

He also mentioned other IT-security related incidents including the St Jude cardiac devices, owlet Wi-Fi baby heart monitor and Samsung smart TV.

To effectively protect data, the company recommends the use of trusted firewalls to reinforce perimeter security, the use of trusted and compliant cloud providers for data security, as well as reliable, effective solutions for device and communications security to combat spam, viruses, malware and phising, among other threats.

"The responsibility lies with you ... it is up to you, the consumer and business owner, to take charge of your systems and your data," French added.

CEO of ESET Southern Africa Carey van Vlaanderen described the 30-year old global firm as a pioneer of IT and endpoint security since 1987 with 130 million protected users worldwide.

In an overview of the market Van Vlaanderen added that cyber crime was fuelling the cyber security market with complex cyber attacks, with 40% of device users failing to install security solutions.

"Enterprise is where we see the growth," she said, adding that ESET is focusing on addressing cyber concerns, of which ransomware ranks as a top priority.

"According to PhishMe service, more than 97% of phishing emails contained ransomware delivered in 2016," Van Vlaanderen added.

Botnets, education and awareness, effective strategy, responsibility, organised crime and compliance with industry regulation were all mentioned as areas of critical influence and importance.