Acronis has presented its latest Acronis Cyberthreats Report, based on information and insights gathered by the Acronis Cyber Protection Operation Centers monitoring cyber threat trends in the first half of 2022. The report states that ransomware remains the biggest current threat to large and medium-sized companies and organizations, with total estimated damages of $30 billion by 2023. According to the report, the main cause is the growing complexity of IT infrastructures, which leads to increased risk levels and a higher number of attacks.
Nearly half of the detected compromises during the first half of 2022 targeted the theft of user credentials, enabling ransomware attacks. To obtain these credentials, attackers use phishing and other malicious emails as their main attack vectors. More than a quarter of emails (26.5%) delivered to user mailboxes were not blocked in any way during the monitored period and had to be removed only by the email security tool within the Acronis platform. Another key vector used for data extraction was vulnerabilities in unpatched software.
The growing risks stem primarily from the ever-increasing complexity of IT ecosystems in organizations that operate a wide range of solutions from many vendors. Such infrastructure, with numerous security gaps, is then exposed to potential attackers who exploit its vulnerabilities for destructive cyberattacks.
“Today's cyberthreats are constantly evolving and bypassing traditional security measures,” said Candid Wuest, Vice President of Cyber Protection Research at Acronis. “Organizations of all sizes need a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity that integrates everything from anti-malware to email security and vulnerability assessments. Attackers have increasingly sophisticated tools, and in this situation, having just one security layer is a gamble.”
Although ransomware is the primary danger, phishing attacks, attacks on cryptocurrencies, and business email compromise (BEC) are no less destructive:
- A ransomware gang demanded a $10 million ransom from the Costa Rican government and published 672 GB of stolen data.
- 58% of all malicious emails were phishing attempts, while another 28% contained malware. The most frequently impersonated brands in phishing emails include DHL, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, and others.
- Over the past 12 months, cryptocurrencies worth $44 billion have disappeared as a result of cyberattacks on cryptocurrency and DeFi (decentralized finance) platforms.
- In 2021 alone, business email compromise (BEC) caused damages totaling $2.4 billion.
- Cyberattacks were responsible for 36% of all operational outages in 2021.
The current level of cybercriminal activity requires multilayered solutions that combine anti-malware, EDR, DLP, email security, vulnerability assessments, patch management, RMM, and backup—all within a single platform. Integrating all these components gives organizations a better chance to avoid cyberattacks, mitigate the consequences of successful attacks, and recover stolen or encrypted data.
The complete report is available for download on this page.
Article author: ZEBR.ai editorial team
