Symantec: 90 Percent Of Attacks Go Unpublicized

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It seems like every other week another major security breach makes headlines. But here’s a scary thought: According to Symantec, a huge number of attacks go undisclosed to the general public.

At Symantec’s Security and Operations Center in Herndon, Va., the company monitors active attacks from companies worldwide.

’We have the privileged visibility to look around the globe,’ said Senior Vice President and General Manager Samir Kapuria.

Symantec uses the massive amounts of information to help a number of companies that are victimized by malicious hackers.

’I’d say 90 percent of those are unpublicized attacks,’ Kapuria said.

Why doesn’t the general public hear about those attacks? Kapuria said the reason is pretty simple: brand protection.

’If you think about it, although an attack happens and that might mean damage to a company, the brand and reputational impact of talking about it is something that many companies do not want to -- or nor do they have to -- advertise,’ he said.

At the Security and Operations Center, Symantec keeps a ’Kill Wall.’ Behind this top-secret wall, the company records all of the attacks it has squashed -- for internal use only.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 29, 2015