Data breaches

The war against cybercriminals never ends, and unfortunately 2023 became, statistically, attackers' most successful year.

The war against cybercriminals never ends, and unfortunately 2023 became, statistically, attackers' most successful year. In 2023, attackers managed to breach and exfiltrate critical data from more than 2,100 large companies. Let's take a look at what was hit hardest in that year, and why.

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the scariest entries on this list. The objective for attackers is clear: steal as much sensitive data as possible — and hospitals and medical institutions are full of it. Another risk in these scenarios is the possibility of shutting down or compromising hospital infrastructure, which can put human lives at risk.

Ransomware

Not all attackers try to steal data — many are happy just to encrypt it and demand a ransom from the owner. Ransomware attacks have improved enormously over the past few years, and 2023 was no exception. So don't forget to back up, back up, back up.

Insider attacks

External attacks remain the big bogeyman, and the possibility of an inside attack sometimes gets forgotten. Whether it's an employee falling for phishing, or an attacker getting hired as a cleaner, the outcome is the same.

IoT (Internet of Things) as an entry point

IoT devices — also known as smart devices — have proven to attackers to be another way in. They tend to be poorly secured, and because they're connected to the network, they make an ideal gateway.

Critical infrastructure

Another nasty trend among attackers is breaking into critical infrastructure — power plants, transit systems, water-treatment plants. It just goes to show we've moved into an era where cybersecurity is a major risk both financially and, unfortunately, in terms of public safety.

The need to be secure

All of these points just prove how important it is to be secure, and that today the question is no longer "if" but "how" to be secure. Key points:

·         Robust security across all systems

·         Network monitoring

·         Awareness of cyber threats

These basics should protect you against the vast majority of attacks.