Verizon DBIR: C-Level Executives in the Crosshairs

John Grim of Verizon Discusses Key Findings of the 2019 Data Breach Investigation Report) • May 22, 2019     15 Minutes   

Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report has been published for 12 consecutive years, but the findings don't cease to surprise its authors, including John Grim, senior manager of the Investigative Response Team, Verizon Enterprise Solutions.

In an exclusive interview with ISMG, Grim outlines one of the more shocking results of the 2019 research - that C-level executives are 12 times more likely to be the target of social incidents and nine times more likely to be the target of social breaches than in years past. Grim provides his take on why such a radical shift in target by fraudsters

"I think what we're seeing here for the C-level folks is that these folks are the people that approve transactions for business email compromises, they're very busy, so they may not be paying attention to their emails and what they are approving, and they may not be as tech savvy as other folks who may have been targeted in the past."

In this interview (see audio link below photo), Grim discusses:

How the report's findings have changed over time; The most surprising results of the 2019 survey; Recommendations for threat mitigation based on the results.

Grim is senior manager, Investigative Response Team at Verizon Enterprise Solutions. He has over 15 years of experience investigating data breaches and cyber security incidents. He responds to cybersecurity incidents, advises on data breach containment and eradication efforts, performs digital forensic examinations, and leads investigative response training and data breach simulation exercises for Verizon customers worldwide.