The BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report has recently been released, providing security leaders with timely access to valuable information that can help them manage risks and understand global threats and their impact on businesses. The report is based on telemetry obtained from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven products and analytical capabilities, complemented by other public and private intelligence sources.
The report analyses more than 1.5 million cyberattacks that occurred between December 2022 and February 2023. The highlights of the report are as follows:
– 12 attacks per minute were observed during the period, and the number of unique attacks using new malware samples skyrocketed by 50%, from one per minute in the previous report to 1.5 per minute during this reporting period.
– The US remains the country with the highest number of stopped attacks, but Brazil has just emerged as the second most-targeted country, followed by Canada and Japan. Singapore entered the top 10 for the first time.
– 60% of all malware-based cyberattacks targeted customers in the financial sector, healthcare services, and food and staples retailing industries.
– Droppers, downloaders, remote access tools (RATs), and ransomware were most frequently used.
Moreover, the report also covers notable threat actors and cyber weapons, most consequential attacks, and provides actionable defensive countermeasures in the form of MITRE ATT&CK® and MITRE D3FEND™ mappings deployed during this period. The report also offers an analysis of the forecasting accuracy of the previous report and a list of insightful key takeaways based on the events of the past months.
Ismael Valenzuela, VP of Threat Research & Intelligence at BlackBerry, notes that the report provides cutting-edge research that empowers the company to continuously improve BlackBerry’s data- and Cylance® AI-driven products and services. He also emphasizes the importance of awareness of security posture, risk exposure, and cyber-defense strategy for business leaders, as well as the continuous analysis of the global threat landscape for security leaders to effectively manage risks.
The report reveals that the healthcare industry faced a significant number of cyberattacks during this period. Additionally, the report highlights attacks against financial institutions, government entities, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure, key sectors that are often targeted by sophisticated and sometimes state-sponsored threat actors, engaging in espionage and intellectual property campaigns. However, crimeware and commodity malware are also often found in these critical industries.
In conclusion, the BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report provides valuable insights into global cyber threats, which can help security leaders and business leaders to make well-informed decisions and take prompt, effective actions to manage risks and protect their businesses.