A Record Increase In 2024 Cyber Attacks

Uploaded on 2024-05-14 in FREE TO VIEW

Following a surge in cyber crime in 2023, which saw the highest recorded volume of cyber attacks in two years, cyber security solutions provider Check Point Software Technologies has made its predictions on what cyber threats will look like for the rest of the year. In particular, the report identifies “an intriguing shift in the landscape of cyber attacks, both in frequency and in the nature of threats.”

In the first quarter of 2024, organisations suffered an average of 28% more cyber attacks compared to the previous quarter, and 5% more compared to the previous year.

The most heavily targeted industries being research, government, military, and healthcare. The average weekly number of cyber attacks per single organisation stood at 1,308, the highest ever recorded.

The report also claims that the escalation is not just a number but “a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving threat landscape, and the substantial increase from Q4 2023 accentuates a worrying trend of rapid escalation in cyber threats.”

The industries that were most affected were education and research, which were targeted by 2454 attacks per organisation weekly on average.

The average weekly attacks on government and military organisations were 1692, and the number for healthcare was at 1605. The largest increase of attacks was seen with hardware vendors, who saw an increase of 37%, reaching 1185 attacks per organisation weekly.

Surge In Cyber Attacks In African & Latin American

Africa surged to the top with an average of 2373 attacks per week per organisation (a 20% jump from 2023), while Latin America actually showed a 20% decline, indicating a possible shift in focus or improved defensive measures in the region. Check Point also mentioned the reason for this change could be a temporary shift in focus by cyber criminals on other more vulnerable regions across the world.

When looking to the future, the Check Point researchers warned: “Businesses must adopt a multi-faceted approach to cyber security, encompassing robust data backups, frequent cyber awareness training, timely security patches, strong user authentication, and advanced anti-ransomware solutions.

“Proactive engagement with AI-powered defenses can significantly bolster an organisation’s resilience against these threats.”

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