A ‘nightmare scenario’: Data-tampering attacks are hard to detect, with devastating consequences

Attacks involving manipulation of data could pose an even more severe threat than data theft or ransomware in some cases, but are not top of mind for most businesses, experts told Protocol.

Imagine a cybersecurity catastrophe like this one: A pharmaceuticals maker suffers a data breach, but no data is stolen and no ransomware is deployed. Instead the attacker simply makes a change to some of the data in a clinical trial — ultimately leading the company to release the wrong drug.