Specialist insurer Hiscox is using real-time cyber attacks in it latest advertising campaign – CyberLive.
Hiscox said in a statement that this was part of its broader drive "to cement its position as a leader in the cyber risk marketplace and to raise awareness of the threat that cyber-crime poses to small businesses."
Three "honeypot" servers (the type of servers typically used by a small business) were set-up specifically for the campaign and the data from them feeds into live digital posters at stations and roadside sites across the United Kingdom. Each time a cyber attack occurs, it triggers a pulsing red light on the poster, which gradually builds as further attacks occur and resets every 24 hours. The more attacks there are to the servers, the more the poster headline visually reacts.
Based on initial trials, the number of attempted attacks (and pulsing dots) each day was averaging 23,000. The maximum number of attacks detected since January 11, when the servers went live, was 61,805 in one 24 hour period.
Hiscox is campaigning to shift perceptions that small and medium sized businesses are unlikely targets for cyber criminals due to their size. Last year, the insurer appointed Robert Hannigan as a special advisor on cyber security and in December it announced the launch of its 70-strong cyber global "virtual business unit."
Olivia Hendrick, head of marketing and partnerships at Hiscox UK and Ireland commented, "Hiscox CyberLive is about making small businesses more aware of the very real threat that cyber crime poses and challenging the belief that cyber criminals only target larger organizations. We were genuinely astounded by the number of attacks, especially up to 60,000 in one day, and hope this disruptive campaign serves as a reminder to all of the importance of cyber security."
The CyberLive campaign also includes escalator panels at stations in London all aimed at dramatizing the frequency of cyber incidents in the United Kingdom. Last year, one in four (26 percent) of small businesses fell victim to at least one cyber attack, according to Hiscox.
Learn more: www.hiscoxgroup.com.