Third-party online assets a growing security risk for retailers

83% of the top U.S. retailers have connections to a vulnerable third-party asset, and 43% have vulnerabilities that pose an immediate cybersecurity risk, Cyberpion reveals.

In addition, the company found that 30% of these retailers have an asset that either was, or is currently being abused, in an active hacking campaign, and 23% have a compromised asset that is under the control of attackers.

“This holiday season is a perfect storm for the retail industry given increased e-commerce activity due to COVID-19, and the heavy reliance of retailers on third party providers of tracking, behavior, analytics and advertising services,” said Cyberpion CRO Ran Nahmias.

“These services often represent thousands of points of vulnerability, greatly enlarging retailers’ attack surfaces for hackers to capitalize on. The problem is that retailers aren’t aware that some of the biggest threats to their customers and businesses exist outside the traditional perimeter. Solutions like firewalls and antivirus software don’t detect these types of vulnerabilities.”

Improving cybersecurity is top priority for retailers

This holiday season could be an especially busy one for retail consumers and hackers alike. Online purchases spiked by approximately 30% according to the US Census Bureau in the first half of 2020, and will likely continue to grow, particularly towards the end of the year.

The retail industry has collectively boosted their digital transformation initiatives to improve customers’ online experiences while simultaneously looking to achieve greater cybersecurity with 57% of retailers reporting that improving cybersecurity is a top priority.