Cyber attacks on companies are increasing rapidly worldwide and reached a new high in the first half of 2023. Most attacks are aimed at the USA, but Germany is already in third place. An analysis by Forescout.
In their latest report, experts from Forescout Vedere Labs analyzed the activities of cybercriminals and state-backed hackers in the first six months of 2023. The results show an alarming increase in attacks on companies and organizations worldwide.
15 percent more security vulnerabilities compared to 2022
In total, over 16.500 new security vulnerabilities in hardware and software were made public between January and July, an increase of 15 percent compared to the previous year. On average, 78 vulnerabilities were found every day and over 2.300 every month. 17 percent of these are considered critical and enable comprehensive system access.
Building automation devices are particularly at risk, as the experts found. Security gaps were specifically exploited in access controls, energy monitoring and climate controls. According to the report, 13 vulnerabilities are currently vulnerable in products from nine vendors, including market leaders such as Schneider Electric. Some of the vulnerabilities have been known for over five years, but are only now being actively exploited.
Malware from state-backed hackers from China and Russia
Critical infrastructure such as routers, switches and VPNs are also heavily targeted by attackers. State-backed hackers from Russia and China have developed malware to target these devices. Criminals in turn misuse them as a starting point for further cyber attacks. That's why the US agency CISA issued a dedicated warning for these devices.
Even supposedly encapsulated NAS storage is no longer safe from security gaps and malware. The Forescout experts discovered new, actively exploited gaps as well as malware that infects IT systems starting from NAS systems.
The high dynamic continues in the ransomware segment. While groups like Conti and Hive have disappeared, new ones like Malas and 8Base, as well as old ones like LockBit and CL0P, are making the rounds. In total, the researchers registered a record number of 53 active blackmail groups, 36 percent more than in 2021.
Germany in third place
The cyberattacks were spread across over 100 countries, with the USA accounting for the lion's share at 48 percent. If you look at the total number of attacks, Germany ranks third among the main targets of cybercriminals with 32 percent. The USA takes first and second place with 67 percent and the United Kingdom with 35 percent.
The experts consider it particularly dangerous that contaminated sites still offer a large area of attack. Over half of the critical vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited are from earlier years - some even from the 2000s. Likewise, legitimate open source tools are increasingly being misused for malicious purposes.
What can companies do for their cybersecurity?
In order to ward off the drastically increased cyber threat, the researchers recommend that all companies expand their IT security. Protection must cover the entire attack surface, from building technology and network infrastructure to servers and end devices. It is important to constantly analyze new and old vulnerabilities as well as changing attack tactics and to implement holistic security concepts.
The comprehensive report provides deep insights into the current threat situation and shows options for effective protection. Given the alarming increase in vulnerabilities and attacks, quick action is urgently recommended.
Go directly to the report on Forescout.com
About Forescout
Forescout Technologies provides cybersecurity automation across the digital environment, ensuring continuous alignment of customers' security framework with their digital realities, including all types of assets: IT, IoT, OT, IoMT and cloud environments. The Forescout platform ensures complete asset visibility, ongoing compliance, network segmentation and a solid foundation for Zero Trust.
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