Global cyber intrusion activity jumped 125% in the first half of 2021

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Companies successful the U.S. were targeted much than those successful immoderate different country, according to Accenture's Cyber Incident Response Update.

The measurement of cyber intrusion enactment globally soared successful the archetypal fractional of 2021 compared with the aforesaid play past year, according to Accenture's Cyber Investigations, Forensics & Response midyear update.

The triple-digit summation (125%) was driven chiefly by web ammunition activity, which is the usage of tiny pieces of malicious codification to summation distant entree and control, targeted ransomware and extortion operations and proviso concatenation intrusions, the institution said.

Ransomware and extortion "continue to reign ultimate arsenic the apical malware class (38%) observed and second-highest incidental benignant (29%) by volume,'' the update stated.

SEE: How to guarantee your vendors are cybersecure to support you from proviso concatenation attacks (TechRepublic)

The U.S. topped 3 countries that accounted for much than 70% of the incidental measurement observed by the CIFR team, Accenture said. The U.S. accounted for 36% of incidental volume, followed by the U.K. (24%) and Australia (11%), according to the update.

Companies with yearly recurring gross of $1 cardinal and higher, were the biggest victims (70%) of ransomware and extortion, the update noted.

From an manufacture perspective, user goods & services was astir often targeted, accounting for 21% of cyberattacks, followed by the industrial/manufacturing, banking, and question & hospitality industries, astatine 16%, 10% and 9%, respectively.

"Many organizations contiguous are lone securing their halfway firm systems and not afloat protecting their proviso chain, subsidiaries and affiliates. That's wherefore it's captious for companies to person a holistic program to screen their full ecosystems," said Robert Boyce, who leads Accenture's planetary cyber investigations, forensics and effect business, successful a statement. "Industries that antecedently experienced little levels of cyberattacks during the pandemic―such arsenic user bully & services, industrials, question and hospitality, and retail―should reevaluate their cybersecurity posture arsenic accrued user enactment successful these industries contiguous renewed opportunities for cybercriminals."

The findings besides item malware categories by volume, apical ransomware variants observed, and industries targeted astir often by ransomware successful the archetypal fractional of 2021. Among the cardinal findings:

The largest malware class observed by measurement was ransomware astatine 38%, followed by backdoors astatine 33%.
The apical ransomware variant observed was REvil/Sodinokibi, accounting for25% of ransomware.
The security manufacture was targeted astir often by ransomware operators and accounted for 23% of ransomware attacks, followed by user goods and services (17%) and telecommunications (16%).
Companies with yearly gross of $1 cardinal to $9.9 cardinal accounted for much than fractional (54%) of ransomware and extortion victims, followed by companies with yearly gross betwixt $10 cardinal and $20 cardinal (20%).

Watchlist for the aboriginal

The Accenture update listed a fig of implications from these findings for the 2nd fractional of the year:

Return to mean could crook the spotlight connected "dormant" industries. As the planetary pandemic begins to wane, satellite economies volition expect to instrumentality to pre-pandemic levels. But the institution stressed that this is nary clip for complacency and said it expects industries specified arsenic user goods and services, industrials, question and hospitality and retail—already reeling from lockdowns and unit shortages—to acquisition upward trends successful menace activity.

Ransomware and extortion operations are expected to clasp rod position. While not a surprise, it bears repeating: Despite heightened awareness, authorities enactment and manufacture collaboration, ransomware is apt to stay 1 of the apical threats to businesses globally. If anything, it has entered a caller signifier arsenic menace actors follow stronger unit tactics and capitalize connected opportunistic intrusion vectors, Accenture said.

Chaining vulnerabilities and much web shells, everywhere. Despite a sweeping enforcement bid connected cybersecurity, menace actors are expected to proceed to instrumentality vantage of merchandise and proviso concatenation weaknesses for opportunistic intrusion vectors and enhanced persistence operations, Accenture said. Watch for the uptick successful web ammunition enactment to proceed into the 2nd fractional of the year.

Accenture's Cyber Investigations, Forensics & Response (CIFR) midyear update is based connected information collected from CIFR incidental effect engagements betwixt January and June 2021, the institution said.

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