As the fight against cybercrime continues during Cyber Security Awareness Month, Check Point Research reports a 40% increase in cyber attacks worldwide and a 21% increase in Greece
By 2021 worldwide, 1 in 61 organizations will be affected by ransomware each week
The Threat Intelligence division of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Provider of cybersecurity solutions worldwide, reports today that with our entry into October, Cyber Security Awareness Month, there is a worldwide increase of 40% in attacks on organizations per week compared to 2020.
Globally, after a slight decrease in the weeks before March 2020, thereafter, there has been a significant increase in the average weekly number of attacks on each organization in all months including 2021. In September 2021, the average The weekly number of attacks on any organization worldwide reached its peak with more than 870 attacks. Number more than double the number of attacks in March 2020.
While Africa is the most targeted area for cyber attacks, Europe and North America experienced the largest increase in cyber attacks between 2020 and 2021. Organizations in Africa experienced the largest volume of attacks to date in 2021, averaging 1.615 weekly attacks per organization .
This is an increase of 15% compared to last year.
It is followed by Asia-Pacific (APAC) with an average of 1.299 weekly attacks per organism (20% increase), followed by Latin America with an average of 1.117 attacks per week (37% increase), Europe with 665 (65% increase) ) and North America with 497 (57% increase). In Greece there is an average of 485 weekly attacks per organism (increase of 21%).
The areas facing the highest volume of cyber attacks are Education / Research with an average of 1.468 attacks per organization per week (60% increase from 2020), followed by Government / Military with 1.082 (40% increase) and Healthcare with 752 (55% increase).
Ransomware attacks are still a scourge on organizations around the world
In addition, CPR observed that worldwide, by 2021, an average of 1 in 61 organizations will be affected by ransomware each week - an increase of 9% compared to 2020. The ISP / MSP sector is the industry that has been most attacked by ransomware this year. The average weekly number of organizations affected in this area in 2021 is 1 in 36 (32% increase from 2020).
Healthcare ranks second with 1 in 44 organizations affected (39% increase) followed by software vendors in third place with 1 in 52 organizations (21% increase).
Countries in Asia-Pacific (APAC) see the largest volume of ransomware attacks with 1 in 34 organizations being affected each week in 2021. This is a 10% reduction compared to 2020. Africa is followed by 1 in 48 organizations being affected ( 7% decrease) and Latin America with 1 in 57 organizations (6% increase).
“October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and a time when everyone should remember the role they play in ensuring cybersecurity, both locally and globally,” said Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Group Manager, Threat Intelligence & Research Organization, at Check Point Software Technologies , and continued:
"Since the outbreak of the pandemic worldwide, cybercriminals have taken immediate action to seize the opportunities presented to them. "With the ever-increasing number of cyberattacks, Check Point Software is advising organizations to take a precautionary approach to cybersecurity, rather than working to repair it after it has been damaged."
The type of malware that has most affected organizations is botnet with an average of over 8% of organizations being affected weekly (9% reduction by 2020). It is followed by banking malware at 4,6% (increase of 26%) and cryptocurrencies at 4,2% (decrease of 22%).
The research data is the result of Check Point Software's Threat Prevention technologies and was stored and analyzed in Check Point ThreatCloud.
ThreatCloud provides real-time threat information from hundreds of millions of sensors worldwide, through networks, endpoints, and mobile devices. Intelligence is enriched with AI-based engines based on artificial intelligence and exclusive research data from Check Point Research, the research department of Check Point Software Technologies.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
