CIO Journal: The massive cyber breach at Equifax Inc. illustrates how data thefts often stem from the failure to keep software up to date, an essential element of security that experts say can confound enterprise technology executives.
Technology experts at Equifax worked earlier this year to identify and patch vulnerable systems after Cisco Systems Inc. reported an online security flaw that allowed hackers to break into servers. They discovered months later, though, that the same flaw still existed in some areas, and by then, it was too late.
“We’re at a point where it’s not just the CISO that goes down in these major breaches,” said Matt Comyns, managing partner of the cybersecurity practice at executive search firm Caldwell Partners International Inc. “This may be a trend for the future that says security is a team sport and not just an isolated silo.”