New data says 2023 is likely to be the busiest year ever for cybercriminals.
According to the latest data from SonicWall, cybercrime is on the rise across the board, but the tide is slowly turning, and IT security teams should keep this in mind. More precisely, hackers are opting for a “slow and low-profile” approach, staying stealthy while trying to achieve financially motivated goals.
That being said, the company found that the total number of malware (opens in a new tab) After three consecutive years of decline, sales in 2022 are up 2%.
Ransomware surge
Overall, malware volumes were increasing (10%+) across the continent, with Ukraine experiencing a record 25.6 million attempts. Certain countries, such as the UK (-13%) and Germany (-28%) performed quite well last year. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. saw a 9 percent reduction in malware compared to 2021.
Ransomware, arguably one of the most prevalent attack vectors right now, is down 21% globally, but the total exceeds 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. In particular, the total amount of ransomware in the fourth quarter (154.9 million) was the highest since the third quarter of 2021.
But the trend appears to be turning to IoT malware, whose global volumes will increase by 87% in 2022, totaling 112 million hits last year. Cryptojacking — hijacking endpoints to mine cryptocurrencies — shows no signs of abating, either. It grew 43% globally last year, the most in a year recorded by SonicWall threat researchers. The retail and financial sectors were hardest hit, with increases of 2,810% and 352% respectively.
“The past year has reinforced the need for cybersecurity in every industry and every aspect of business, as threat actors target everything from education to retail to finance,” said Bob VanKirk, SonicWall President and CEO. anything.” “While organizations face increasing real-world obstacles amid macroeconomic stress and ongoing geopolitical conflict, threat actors are changing attack tactics at an alarming rate.”
