No Exploits Required

A veteran security researcher argues that while software vulnerabilities and exploits get a lot of attention, they only account for 32% of initial cyberattacks, with the remaining two-thirds succeeding simply because of the fundamental design of modern networking. The internet's universal connectivity and interoperability, which make it so useful, also make it incredibly difficult to defend, as networks are essentially built to bypass security barriers and connect everything to everything else. Rather than focusing solely on patching vulnerabilities, organizations need to address these deeper networking challenges, including shadow IT and the constant bridging of supposedly separate systems.