According to an official release, organisations experienced an average of 1158 weekly cyber attacks each. This represents a 1% increase in cyber-attacks compared to 2022, signalling a trend in the digital threat landscape.
In 2023, the cyber threat landscape is expected to see an evolution, particularly in how ransomware threats are executed. While ransomware continued to pose a serious risk, especially to smaller and less fortified businesses, a shift occurred with some attackers concentrating on data theft and purely extortion-based campaigns, as per insights from an official release.
It is believed that this change in tactics is evident in two attack campaigns – the MOVEit and GoAnywhere incidents. These attacks did not use traditional encryption-based ransomware; rather, they revolved around extortion, with attackers demanding payment in return for not publicly.
Reportedly, the Education/Research sector, previously a prime target, experienced a notable 12% decrease in attacks, although has still remained on top of the list with the highest volume of cyber attacks. However, the retail/ wholesale sectors faced a 22% increase, indicating a change in attacker focus. The Healthcare sector is believed to see about 3% increase in attacks.
