Businesses are being hit with more cyberattacks than ever, as the effects of the lockdown and the Russia-Ukraine conflict create ideal conditions for crime in the virtual realm.
A report from Check Point Research (CPR) states that global attacks increased by 28% in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year.
While it certainly isn’t the only reason, the Russia-Ukraine war was a major influence, as just three days after the invasion of Ukraine, CPR stated, there’s been a 196% increase in cyberattacks against the country’s government and military. On the Russian side of the fence, there’s been a 4% growth in attacks.
Schools under fire
In total, the company recorded 1,130 attacks against businesses worldwide every week of the year. While 2022 started with growth in attacks, this plateaued along the way, CPR said, claiming the slowdown came as a result of enterprises increasing investment in their cybersecurity strategies, and governments putting an extra effort to find and detain hackers.
Among industries, education was most hit this year, the report further states, claiming it came as a consequence of schools not being fully prepared for Covid-19 and doing things remotely. CPR’s August report claims this sector suffered more than double the average number of weekly attacks, and as we move towards the end of the year, there hasn’t been a shift in this trend. In Q3, this industry faces 2,148 attacks per organization, per week - up 18% year-on-year.
The second most attacked industry was Government and Military, with 1,564 average weekly attacks, up 20% compared to last year.
The biggest change came in the healthcare sector, which suffered 60% more attacks this quarter than it had in the same quarter last year. This time around, the industry saw 1,426 attacks per organization, per week.
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