About a quarter of cyber managers in organizations experienced at least 10 cyber attacks in 2022, but only 40% of managers fully understand the seriousness of the threat – these data tell the story of 2022: a sharp increase in the number of cyber attacks in the last year.
It was not an easy year, perhaps the most significant in terms of the cyber world. It is enough to see how much effort Russia invested against Ukraine in this fight. How much money does it put to conduct a cyber fight against other countries as well. Today, countries invest larger budgets there with the understanding that the wars also move there.
A global survey conducted by the cyber security company Palo Alto Networks Model 1,300 information security managers in multinational companies. Almost all respondents admitted to experiencing a cyber security incident in the previous 12 months; 24% experienced at least 10 incidents and violations in the last year; However, the main cause for concern is that only 40% stated that there is a significant increase in their company’s management’s recognition of the importance of cyber risks, although most organizations continue to implement strategies for digital acceleration.
The company believes that the data speak for themselves and show an escalation towards businesses and organizations. In 2022, cybercriminals focused on attacking critical infrastructure and ransomware attacks. Attackers have also continued to find new ways to exploit the cryptocurrency space, working in the hybrid model, and more recently insecure APIs.
“With the widespread shift to working from home, organizations have become more decentralized and vulnerable,” explains Sharon Mader, director of the Managed Security Services department at Palo Alto Networks’ cyber threat research unit, Unit 42. “The attackers also adapted relatively quickly to the new situation and began to identify new weak points that take advantage. In the coming year, these trends will even intensify. Critical infrastructures and civil institutions will continue to be targets for online attacks, and the potential damages from this could be severe.”
“The dynamism of cyber attacks today requires a rethinking of the accepted approach to cyber security,” Meder adds. “Leaders of companies and organizations must consider innovative solutions, technologies and approaches that can surpass traditional security mechanisms. Organizations have a lot to think about in 2023, and maintaining vigilance and awareness will allow them to defend against the evolving threats.”
So what will happen in 2023? According to the company’s review, in 2023, we are expected to see an increase in coordinated activity aimed at damaging critical infrastructures – both in cyberspace and physically. In the private sector, user safety against coordinated attacks will require close attention. The company believes that autonomous security centers that combine cyber and physical elements can be used as an early warning system to identify and respond to such attacks. Similarly, combining cyber and physical security teams can help to reduce risk.
From “ransomware” to “stealth thieves”, as defined by the company – hostile cyber actors are increasingly using stealthy software and techniques to steal data without the victims being aware of it. In contrast to the business model of the ransomware (ransomware) in which there is a demand for payment, in this way the stolen information or the crypto wallets are sold or used immediately, without the attacked party being aware of the threat against him.
In their estimation, the increase in the use of robots and IoT, along with regulatory tightening, will force organizations to move data processing capabilities closer to where users consume the service.
so what are we doing? Avoiding excessive collection of information about work from home – following the transition to a hybrid work method, from home and the office, monitoring employee networks and their digital management has become an important task, mainly to ensure work efficiency.
But where should organizations draw the line? The company believes that collecting data such as recording keystrokes, taking pictures of the desktop or even tracking the movement of employees may violate privacy laws. “When information security managers think about data collection, they need to put themselves in the mindset of the employees and ask themselves two questions: when is it too tight a control and what if the employee asks for his data back?”.
The company is also talking about cyber risks as a key criterion in choosing a provider. The rise and risk of attacks on the supply chains, the assessment of cyber risks and the level of cyber insurance will become part of the criteria in the selection of suppliers and business partners with whom they communicate. The company recommends classifying the suppliers according to their risk status, and evaluating whether they can be cyber-insured or not. “A central part of the selection of suppliers should focus on their dependence on open source – it should be expected that the testing process will become more sophisticated,” they explain there.
So what will happen next year? We will probably see quite a few attacks on large companies and organizations. The question is to what extent we can prevent them. If 2023 will be a more difficult year than this year, there is no doubt that many companies will have to recalculate their route.