The security game never ends, and it never stays the same. Hackers, agents and malware are all adapting to hunt the weak points in every security system. Now, savvy cybersecurity experts look to protect not just the data centers, but also the users.

“Attackers have recognized that it’s getting harder to directly attack the data centers, so they’re going for the endpoints,” said Steve Daly (pictured), president and chief executive officer of Ivanti Software Inc.

Daly spoke with Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the recent Chertoff Group Security Series “Security in the Boardroom” event in Palo Alto, California. (* Disclosure below.)

Hackers set their sights on new targets

Ivanti, as a company, has a special relationship with ransomware. It focuses on solutions to the malware problem and defenses against phishing or hijacking attacks. The data center side of the equation has strong security, and because of that security, the bad guys are now aiming at users, according to Daly. Compromised users then carry the hacker’s dark will into the data center, and that’s when trouble starts.

State-sponsored hacking and malware are also on the rise, Daly stated. These agents, too, are looking to get into the data center. Either for ransom or state purposes, the techniques are the same. Companies that struggle with the basics of cybersecurity are not prepared for these more advanced attacks.

Companies have been moving to the cloud to improve their security, Daly pointed out. This does allow them to shift certain aspects to the enterprise-level cloud providers. However, users still need access to those systems, and a compromised user remains just as dangerous as before, Daly added. The key is to control security not only at the gates, but also across users as a whole.

“The way the industry has evolved is very fragmented in IT [information technology]. When groups are siloed like that, it’s very hard for IT to do the basic security hygiene,” Daly said. Breaking down those silos and unifying IT will help companies address those security concerns. IT must see a cultural change to meet this threat, he concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of The Chertoff Group Security Series “Security in the Boardroom.” (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for The Chertoff Group Security Series “Security in the Boardroom.” Neither The Chertoff Group LLC nor Ivanti Software Inc. have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE