The recent hack of Equifax re-opened the conversation about the critical nature of data security for every business from Wall Street to Main Street.
A report by Denver-based OWL Cybersecurity (OWL) shows just how big the challenge is even for the largest US companies with all their resources.
OWL set out to measure the cybersecurity risk of all Fortune 500 companies by measuring how much of their data was exposed, at risk or available for sale on the darknet. They then applied a unique algorithm to provide a darknet risk footprint and relative ranking.
The company has built an extensive database updated daily from between 10 and 15 million pages on more than 24,000 darknet domains.
The result is a fascinating look at cybersecurity and a positive reminder for companies to constantly evaluate and update their confidential information and financial data risk profiles.
Darknet Index Highlights
OWL’s highlights provide a unique look inside the exposure and risk of data and confidential information of the Fortune 500 companies on the Dark web.
- Every Fortune 500 company is exposed.
- Amazon has the highest footprint of all Fortune 500 companies.
- Technology and telecommunications companies are surprisingly the largest target.
- Financial firms ranked better than expected.
- Highest scoring companies all had exposed credentials, intellectual property or confidential information that could be sold by hackers.
- Cyber security investment pays benefits with smaller darknet visibility, a lower index score and a lower indicator of attractiveness to hackers.
Methodology
The company uses a proprietary darknet database called OWL Vision which gathers data using Boolean logic, proximity search, email domains and darknet postings. A “hackishness” algorithm then assesses and assigns a Darknet Risk Index ranking.
Rankings are taken from the historical record as well as the most recent 90 days. Size of data breaches are less important than frequency and the company says rankings compared to direct industry competitors are an important factor.
Scores included a DARKINT Rank based on a company’s Darknet Index Score, the company’s Fortune 500 rank and industry sector.
The top 15 companies ranked by their Darknet Index Score follow:
Darknet Analysis
Every Fortune 500 company had a darknet ranking that OWL says shows the huge volume of company data available on the darknet and confirms no organization is without risk. The report adds:
“The importance of the hackishness rating is seen in the case of eBay. Without such a weighting, eBay would have been by far the most highly ranked DARKINT company, with more than four times the results to its next closest entrant. Yet, when weighted for hackishness, eBay dropped to #5 (reducing its darknet footprint by more than 500 percent). Put simply, eBay has a great deal of data on the darknet, but much of the data’s potential criminal value was low.
The company with the largest hackishness-rated darknet footprint, Amazon, is not a surprise given their massive internet presence and the fraud potential of the data they maintain. In fact, the Top 5 Darknet Index firms, Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook and eBay, are all in the Technology sector and all use credentials extensively. Perhaps surprisingly, however, no bank registered in the top 10.”
Key Takeaways
Key observations by the company from its data include:
- technology and telecommunications had the highest industry scores
- internet users interact with six of the top 10 companies almost daily
- a firm’s competitive ranking within its industry is a key factor
- rankings may vary significantly over time due to factors within and without the company’s control.
Industry Analysis
The company’s analysis of industry sectors shows the relative rank of the top five industries with highest appeal to hackers: engineering construction (+112); technology (+78) telecommunications (+58); business services (+84); and household products (+56).
Industries with the lowest appeal to hackers included: food & drug stores (-224); food, beverage & tobacco (-77); retail (-72); wholesale (-58); aerospace & defense (-39).
Free Report Summary Available
OWL has a free 22-page summary report available at the following link: OWL Cybersecurity Darknet Index
OWL Cybersecurity is based in Denver, Colorado providing darknet threat intelligence data and services to allow companies and organizations to understand and mitigate their own digital risks. OWL Cybersecurity’s data platform allows companies to see in real-time the theft, breach, or other compromise of their proprietary data on the darknet.
Author: Douglas G Hall, Publisher & Exxecutive Editor, PaymentsNEXT.com