For business leaders, knowing what’s changing in cybersecurity helps you recruit the right people with the right skills today for what you’ll soon need.
Kaspersky’s 2022 Security Bulletin (free download) analyzes which attacks their global cloud service Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) has detected, blocked and disabled over the past year. There are some numbers your business will want to know about.
15 percent of users had a malware attack
Kaspersky Security Network blocked malware-class attacks on some 15 percent of users in 2022, or around 1 in 7. This shows just how common malware is.
The malware class of attacks covers familiar cybercrime tools like viruses, trojans and ransomware. The countries where Kaspersky’s software blocked the most malware attacks in 2022 were Tunisia, Taiwan and Algeria.
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506 million web-based attacks
Web-based attacks result from users downloading files that then trigger a cyberattack. These might come from websites made by cybercriminals, infected online resources within user-created content (like online forums) or legitimate resources that cybercriminals have hacked.
Cybersecurity education can be a powerful tool in preventing web-based attacks. Heathrow Airport has a novel staff cybersecurity education that carefully targets those needing it most with 10-minute online learning modules.
1.4 million cryptocurrency mining attempts
Cryptocurrency mining is very much on the rise. Kaspersky Security Network detected around 1.4 million attempts to install mining software in the past year.
Cybercriminals hack computers and use their processing power to make money by ‘mining’ cryptocurrency.
Mining means digitally solving complex mathematical problems that verify cryptocurrency transactions, which also earns cryptocurrency. It slows devices and uses much electricity.
In November 2022, Kaspersky announced they’d seen a 230 percent growth in cryptocurrency mining in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the same period in the year before.
102 million attempts to visit malicious URLs
Malicious URLs are a common tool in ‘phishing‘ attacks – when cybercriminals send emails inducing recipients to click on links, downloading malware.
Endpoint security is vital in protecting against phishing, as is employee cyber-awareness.
377,000 attempts to steal money
Kaspersky’s software identified and blocked 377,000 attempts by financial malware to steal from online bank accounts, ATMs and payment terminals in 2022.
These attacks were often in the form of ‘banking Trojans‘. In early 2022 a particularly sophisticated money-stealing Trojan popped up that masquerades as a banking app and imitates phone conversations with bank employees. The app fooled many, highlighting the need to teach employees ‘cyber hygiene’ – like remembering to pause and think before downloading anything. Those who provide legitimate apps or financial services might also reflect on how they can show customers their products are trustworthy.
These big numbers in cybersecurity over the past year show how threats to business are growing and changing. Cybercriminals always find new ways to get through consumers’ and employees’ defenses. By combining hiring the right people with robust cybersecurity education and strong security solutions, your business will greatly reduce its chances of a serious attack succeeding. Then, you can spend your time on what you do best.
