38% increase in cyberattacks in 2022 raises fears of a ‘catastrophic event’

More devices and sophistication in scams led to a 38% increase in digital attacks in 2022; 91% of executives believe in a catastrophic event by 2025

The ever-increasing rate of cyberattacks, as well as improvements being implemented by bad actors to create ever more sophisticated vectors, raise fears of a catastrophic event in cybersecurity by 2025. The perception is of a natural trend, from the 38% increase recorded last year, as the vulnerable surface area and the number of devices are also growing.

According to a survey by cybersecurity firm Check Point, presented at the CPX 360 event, which takes place this week, 91% of technology executives believe in a digital disaster in the next two years. We are talking here about a large-scale attack that undermines global communications infrastructure or causes widespread disruption of governments and organizations. For example, it happened in 2017, with the diffusion of Wanna Cry or last year, when the Costa Rican government was hit en masse by the Conti ransomware.

This movement already appears in the data presented by the company. In 2022, one in 13 organizations worldwide experienced at least one cyberattack. At the same time, we have 8-13 connected devices per person worldwide, all of which are potentially susceptible to exploits, security breaches or scams, and there is not enough response to these incidents.

Today every company can be attacked, even those that do not deal with essential or sensitive sectors, data and information. It’s a real change, but as Check Point CEO Gil Shwed points out, it’s not a perception that has solidified in people’s minds. “Poor risk perception is a danger in itself. Everyone is a target and needs to be prepared,” he adds.

The proof of this, again, appears in the numbers. As businesses become increasingly digitized and virtualized, the expansion of intrusion vectors continues at a rapid pace. In 2020, Check Point Systems analyzed nearly 400 entry points into enterprise systems; today, three years later, that total has more than doubled, exceeding one thousand and reaching 1,026, in the sum of networks, data centers, devices and users.

Integration is the solution to security challenges

To address this, Shwed emphasizes the need for integrated security solutions that consider all of these vectors and protect a company’s infrastructure comprehensively. It’s not enough to have the best security platform provider, it’s about ensuring that all aspects of a business are talking to each other, especially given that an attacker’s vector of entry into the network can vary from personal mobile phones to an employee, connected to Wi-Fi, to a security hole in a large data center abroad.

“If we close a door, but leave the window open, the attack will come from there. Security must be capillary, consolidated and collaborative”, completes the executive, indicating artificial intelligence as the glue capable of holding all these together attributes. In his view, this is also a game changer for security platforms.

The great revolution of 2023, he underlines, will be the application of AI in people’s lives, both in the form of ChatGPT, which was also one of the topics addressed during the CPX 360, and in the integration of technologies based on the analysis of one vector for each growing number of threats.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.