As Check Point's 2023 Security Report shows, there is a 38 percent increase in cyberattacks and over 1.000 weekly attacks per organization. Geopolitical conflicts are also leading to an increase in cyberattacks and the proliferation of "disruptive and destructive" malware.
Check Point Research (CPR), the threat intelligence division of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, has released its 2023 Security Report. The report looks back on a turbulent 2022, with cyberattacks reaching new heights in response to the Russo-Ukrainian war. Education and research remain the most targeted sectors, but attacks on the healthcare sector are up 74 percent year-on-year. The report also shows that in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), 33 percent of all organizations were affected by multipurpose malware. 8 percent of them reported having already been attacked with ransomware.
2022 with 38 percent more cyber attacks
According to the report, cyberattacks increased by 2022 percent in 38 compared to the previous year, with an average of 1.168 weekly attacks recorded per organization. The report also highlights the role played by smaller and more agile hacker and ransomware groups in exploiting legitimate collaboration tools deployed in the hybrid workplace. From the emergence of new strains of ransomware to the spread of hacktivism in conflict zones in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the 2023 Security Report uncovers the trends and behaviors that shaped the year.
Results of the Security Report 2023
hacktivism
The lines between state-sponsored cyber operations and hacktivism are increasingly blurred as nation-states operate anonymously and with impunity. Non-governmental hacktivist groups are now more organized and effective than ever.
Ransomware Extortion
Ransomware operations are becoming increasingly difficult to account for and trace, and existing protection mechanisms that rely on detection of encryption activity may become less effective. Instead, the focus will be on detecting data deletion and exfiltration.
Third Party Cloud Threat
The number of attacks on cloud-based networks per enterprise has skyrocketed, with a 48 percent increase in 2022 compared to 2021. Threat actors' renewed penchant for scanning cloud providers' IP reach underscores their interest in Get easy access to sensitive information and critical services.
The report also provides insights specifically for CISOs to focus attention on critical security measures for the year ahead. These insights include reducing complexity to fill the skills shortage gap, limiting the cost of cloud misconfigurations, and increasing the use of automation and AI to detect network risks that the human eye may miss.
Expect more attacks in 2023
“There is no doubt that the volume of attacks will increase over the next XNUMX months. Cloud migration has created a larger attack surface for cybercriminals, and the tools we all use will continue to be manipulated by cybercriminals. This has already been demonstrated in the case of ChatGPT, when Russian cybercriminals attempted to bypass OpenAI's API restrictions and gain access to the chatbot for malicious purposes," said Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software. "Add to this the growing skill gap and increasing complexity of distributed networks and we have the perfect storm for cybercriminals."
Horowitz adds, “To mitigate the risk of cybercrime, CISOs can begin by reviewing our 2023 Security Report and ensure employees receive ongoing cybersecurity training. Raising awareness of current threats and new tactics employed by threat actors can help protect organizations from malicious threats in the future.”
The security report findings are based on data from the Check Point ThreatCloud Cyber-Threat Map, which examines the top tactics used by cybercriminals to launch their attacks. A full copy of the report is available on the interactive website here.
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About check point Check Point Software Technologies GmbH (www.checkpoint.com/de) is a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions for public administrations and companies worldwide. The solutions protect customers from cyberattacks with an industry leading detection rate for malware, ransomware and other types of attacks. Check Point offers a multi-level security architecture that protects company information in cloud environments, networks and on mobile devices, as well as the most comprehensive and intuitive “one point of control” security management system. Check Point protects over 100.000 businesses of all sizes.