Data is the Target for Cyberattacks – So Why Are You Still Only Protecting the Perimeter With Network Security?

The stakes in cybersecurity have never been higher. Attacks are no longer about brute force break-ins; they are about slipping through the cracks of traditional defenses. Over 84% of breaches now involve attackers using stolen credentials to log in undetected. Ransomware costs have skyrocketed, with the average ransom payment reaching $2 million, a staggering increase from $400,000 just a year ago. 

Yet, the financial burden doesn’t stop at the ransom itself. Recovery costs have surged to an average of $2.73 million, and the reputational damage that follows can be irreparable. And it’s not just companies paying the price – executives face personal liability for failing to protect sensitive data. 

So why do so many businesses continue to rely on outdated network security models that focus solely on perimeter defenses? Firewalls, antivirus software, and endpoint security are important, but they do not address the core issue – attackers are not breaking in; they are logging in. When unauthorized access is inevitable, the only real defense is to ensure that sensitive data remains protected, inaccessible, and ultimately useless to attackers.

The Business Impact: Beyond Financial Losses

A cyberattack doesn’t just disrupt operations – it threatens the very foundation of a business. The financial losses are devastating, with regulatory penalties under GDPR, DORA, and NIS2 imposing hefty fines on organizations that fail to secure data adequately. For financial institutions, DORA compliance failures can mean fines of up to 2% of global revenue. But the impact extends far beyond fines.

Reputational damage can drive customers away overnight, destroying years of brand trust. Operational downtime halts productivity, costing millions in lost revenue. And most alarming of all, executives are held personally liable for data breaches. CEOs and CISOs are under scrutiny, with regulatory bodies demanding accountability. Cybersecurity isn’t the sole responsibility of IT, it’s a boardroom crisis waiting to happen.

The Failure of Traditional Network Security

Traditional network security strategies focus on keeping intruders out, but modern cyber threats have rendered this approach ineffective. Once attackers gain access to a network, they move laterally, escalate privileges, and exfiltrate sensitive data, often before deploying ransomware. By the time an organization detects the breach, the damage has already been done. The failure lies in assuming that protecting the perimeter is enough. It isn’t.

The Shift to Data-Centric Security: Protecting Data and Backups

If attackers are after your data, why is security still focused on the network? A data-centric approach is the only viable path forward. This strategy assumes that breaches will happen and focuses on securing the data itself rather than just the environment around it.

That includes your backup data too. But backups are only as good as the data they receive over the network. If that data is compromised in transit, so is the backup, making recovery efforts unreliable. Certes ensures that data remains sovereign and unaltered from the moment it leaves the host to when it reaches the backup, regardless of the network it travels over. This guarantees that backups remain untampered with and fully recoverable, eliminating a critical weak point in ransomware resilience.

The Ultimate Defense: Cyber Vault

Together, Certes and Rubrik deliver Cyber Vault, a multi-layered defense system that neutralizes cyber threats before they cause real harm. Cyber Vault ensures that businesses can continue operating, meet compliance obligations, and eliminate the financial and reputational risks of ransomware attacks.

• Resilience: Business continuity through fast, reliable recovery.
• Risk Mitigation: Reduced breach impact with built-in data security and Zero Trust controls.
• End-to-end protection: From edge devices to cloud environments, critical data is securely backed up, transported, and recovered.
• Operational Confidence: Assurance that data protection investments align with evolving regulations.

By combining Certes’ DPRM (Data Protection and Risk Mitigation) and Rubrik’s Ransomware Recovery, Cyber Vault becomes a comprehensive defense mechanism, delivering proactive and reactive capabilities in one unified solution. 

The Future of Cybersecurity: Act Now or Pay Later

Ransomware is not just a threat to your technical operations – it is a financial, operational, and reputational crisis waiting to happen. Organizations must secure their data, comply with regulatory mandates, and protect themselves from the growing risk of executive liability. 

Building higher walls with network security won’t help; it’s about making the data behind them untouchable.

Cyber Vault is the solution that combines proactive data security, regulatory compliance, and rapid recovery capabilities. Businesses that embrace this approach will not only survive the impending waves of cyber threats but will set a new standard for resilience in an increasingly hostile digital world. Now is the time to move beyond outdated security models and invest in a strategy that protects what truly matters – your data.

Contact Certes to learn more about how Cyber Vault ensures end-to-end protection and ransomware-proof recovery.