Sydney, June 26: BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) has just released its latest Global Threat Intelligence Report, and the findings are quite alarming.
Their cybersecurity solutions managed to detect and stop a massive 3.1 million cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2024, which breaks down to about 37,000 attacks per day.
Between January and March, BlackBerry identified 630,000 new malicious hashes, showing a significant 40 percent increase from the previous period.
Interestingly, 60 percent of these attacks targeted critical infrastructure sectors like government, healthcare, financial, and communications, with the financial sector taking 40 percent of the hit.
“Each iteration of this report highlights startling new trends: novel malware is growing with no signs of stopping, and threat actors are highly motivated, be it for financial gain or to create chaos,” said Ismael Valenzuela, Vice President of Threat Research and Intelligence at BlackBerry.
“In a year where over 50 countries are holding elections, geopolitical tensions are at an all-time high, and every nation will soon be fixated on the Olympic Games, the threat landscape can feel overwhelming to navigate. This report provides a snapshot of where threat actors are looking, how they are operating, and what we can expect in the coming months so defenders can be one step ahead.”
The report highlighted that 82 percent of the cyberattacks during this period were aimed at the United States, with 54 percent involving new, previously unseen malware. There was a 40 percent per-minute increase in new malware detected compared to the last period, averaging 7,500 unique malware samples per day, or about 5.2 per minute.
Moreover, 36 percent of all threats were directed at commercial enterprises, including sectors like retail, manufacturing, automotive, and professional services.
This is a three percent increase from the previous period, with a notable 10 percent rise in new malware incidents.
Cybercriminals continue to rely heavily on social engineering tactics to breach these sectors.
The report also pointed out the rapid exploitation of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) across all types of malware, especially ransomware and infostealers.
Out of 8,900 CVEs reported during this period, 56 percent received a severity score of seven out of ten, marking a three percent increase from the last period.
Despite various takedown efforts, ransomware groups like LockBit, Hunters International, and 8Base are still wreaking havoc.
As 2024 progresses, the report underscores a politically charged global landscape, with disinformation and deepfake campaigns rampant on social media.
The ongoing geopolitical tensions, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, continued conflicts in the Middle East, and various global elections, are expected to shape how cyber threat actors select their targets and methods.
The BlackBerry Threat Intelligence and Research team predicts that cybercriminals will continue to meticulously target their victims.
The rise in new ransomware and infostealers suggests that private data will remain a highly sought-after commodity.
Sectors like healthcare and financial services are anticipated to stay at the forefront of these cyberattacks.
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