TahawulTech disclosed that a recent Kaspersky survey reveals that 87% of retailers experienced cyber incidents in the past 12 months, highlighting significant vulnerabilities within the AI-driven and personalized retail landscape. The study, which surveyed IT security specialists across 18 countries, uncovers key risks, prevalent attack methods, and the potential damage to businesses.
The retail sector, encompassing e-commerce and loyalty programs, accumulates vast amounts of personal data, making it a prime target for cybercriminals. Phishing was the most prevalent threat, affecting over one-fifth of retailers, followed by cyber espionage and web application exploits. Attackers primarily aimed to steal clients' and employees' personal data, leading to consequences such as data theft (28%), financial loss (25%), and business disruption (25%). Internal factors like insufficient IT expertise and a lack of security awareness were identified as major contributors to successful attacks. Risky behaviors, including using personal devices for work and weak password habits, further exacerbate these risks. In response, 82% of retailers increased their IT security budgets, with many opting to outsource security functions to third-party providers. As AI becomes more integrated, 33% of retail companies surprisingly report no perceived risks associated with its use, a figure significantly higher than other industries. Kaspersky recommends enhancing cyber awareness programs, updating AI usage policies, identifying critical assets, monitoring industry threats, and deploying advanced endpoint protection solutions to bolster defenses.
Source: TahawulTech
