The recent Covid-19 pandemic forced companies to find smarter solutions and tools to maintain business continuity. Due to the need for social distancing, many workers began performing their duties remotely from their own homes, leaving businesses more exposed to various digital threats.
As a result of this new reality, the concept of digital security has gained even more visibility, becoming a very important aspect for businesses. Just like technology, the ways to bypass systems and invade networks have also developed significantly over the years. Attacks carried out today are increasingly sophisticated , making it necessary to use more efficient resources and tools to combat these threats.
With the increase in remote workers, cybercriminals have more extensive attack surfaces available to them. Since this adaptation had to happen quickly and in an imposed manner, companies' network infrastructure has become more fragile and susceptible to security threats .
These criminals can count on even more entry points to access confidential data and steal information. Another problem caused by this new reality is that now, outside of business environments, employees may adopt a more vulnerable posture , increasing the chances of becoming victims of scams.
It's important to remember that you don't need to be a novice user to be a victim of cyberattacks. These threats affect companies of all sizes and sectors, and users with varying levels of digital knowledge. In recent months, Brazil has suffered numerous attacks on government agencies, banking institutions, hospitals, and private companies, demonstrating the increasing importance of businesses dedicating themselves to their digital security. This text provides a cybersecurity report with a general overview of what has happened this year.
Key risks and data for 2022
Check Point Research is an organization that provides reliable information about the types of cyber threats being perpetrated, ensuring trustworthy information for its users and clients, as well as for the technology community.
By collecting and analyzing global data on cyber threats, this platform ensures that security products are constantly updated, and that the entire community has access to reliable information about digital security around the world.
In the report released in the third quarter of 2022 , we can see a considerable increase in ransomware attacks suffered by the healthcare sector. This was due to the sensitivity of the data stored by these institutions and the pressure to resolve such attacks quickly.
However, even though this sector has been suffering more attacks of this type, ransomware attacks have fallen by about 8% worldwide compared to the same period of the previous year. Understand why this type of attack is so prevalent today:
Because it has a major impact on business, in addition to the threat of financial loss, this type of attack can considerably damage a company's image in the market.
Below are some more data presented in the Check Point Research study and report.
The sector most affected
The sector most affected by cyberattacks overall was the education and research sector, reaching an average of 2,148 attacks per week (compared to the same period of the previous year), meaning that this sector experienced an 18% increase in attacks.
Volume of attacks
In terms of the volume of cyberattacks, Asia leads the ranking. Research shows that there were 1,778 attacks per week on companies in this region. Globally, this represents a 28% increase in attacks.
Digital security in Brazil
With an average of 1,130 attacks on organizations per week, Brazil showed a 37% increase compared to the same period of the previous year , suffering approximately 1,484 attacks per week. This indicates a considerable increase compared to the rest of the world.
This difference is mainly due to a lack of investment in the main targets of attack , which are the applications used, remote access, and, most importantly, the users. The digital security culture in Brazil is still very focused on detection rather than prevention of attacks, which contributes to the increase shown in the research.
It is important to remember that the remediation required after a cyberattack is considerably more expensive than its prevention , so, financially, it is much more advantageous for an organization to invest in tools and resources that help prevent these threats.
What are the most common attacks?
The number of types of cyberattacks created by criminals is practically incalculable. However, some attacks "work better" than most, and are therefore more common, attracting more victims. Here are a few examples:
Social engineering
When discussing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, it's impossible not to talk about social engineering . This technique is used by cybercriminals to trick users and their victims into making mistakes , so that they can illegitimately collect confidential data and information.
In some cases, they may use this tool to infect computers or implant links to fake websites. Although more common among less tech-savvy users, this type of tool can also victimize people experienced in the online world.
This is because, over the years, these scams have become increasingly sophisticated, and can be carried out through various means of communication.
Phishing
Phishing attack that has been used for over 30 years, originating in the early days of the internet's popularization. Using fake emails, malicious links, and cloned pages, cybercriminals trick their victims into providing crucial information such as credit card details, personal information, login credentials, and more.
Ransomware
This type of attack is one of the most financially damaging for organizations worldwide. Cybercriminals invade networks and systems, and are able to steal confidential data or render networks and databases unavailable.
To unlock or return this information, these criminals demand a ransom payment, which can be a major financial blow to companies. Typically, this type of attack uses social engineering and phishing to gain access to systems.
Data leak
The leakage of confidential information has always been a major problem for companies, especially those that handle sensitive and confidential user data. With the creation of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), this threat has become even more dangerous for businesses. This is because the leakage of confidential information can generate costs in the form of fines and sanctions for organizations.
DDoS attack
Also known as distributed denial-of-service attacks, this type of attack uses the capacity limits of a company's infrastructure and networks to disable its services, pages, or resources. By sending multiple requests through infected computers, cybercriminals overload the network, preventing legitimate users and customers from accessing these services.
A DDoS attack is a type of silent attack that can take a long time to be detected, causing loss of profitability and damage to the company's image in the market. These attacks are usually directed at e-commerce websites, companies that depend on the provision of online resources and services, among others.
The biggest cybersecurity attacks of 2022
A relatively simple attack can cause immense damage to a company. This type of threat can be very dangerous for a business, especially when it handles confidential data. The growth of these attacks has triggered great concern among national companies regarding the security of their information.
The need for digitization and modernization after social isolation during the pandemic forced companies to adapt in a very short period of time, which favored the creation of vulnerabilities. Contrary to popular belief, these attacks are not directed only at large companies. Businesses with fewer than a thousand employees end up being a constant target, representing about 82% of ransomware attacks.
In 2022, cyberattacks continued their onslaught, and some of these attacks gained significant notoriety, for example:
Attacks during the Russia-Ukraine war
Beyond the physical conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a cyber war is also being waged behind the scenes between the two countries. It's no secret that Russia has used cyberattacks to cause blackouts, steal data, and attack its neighbor for years.
However, due to the growing threat, Ukraine is also relying on an IT army that has been launching attacks against Russian services to cause chaos and disrupt their continuity. In addition to them, other hackers from around the world are also carrying out scams and breaching Russian data and systems.
Extortions by the Lapsus$ group
This group of hackers became known for attacks on the websites of Submarino and Americanas, as well as coordinating attacks on the Ministry of Health, the Post Office, and private companies such as Samsung and Localiza. Due to this growing threat, it has become one of the leading cybercriminal groups today.
Following threats to the source code of Microsoft Bing and Cortana, seven criminals were arrested on suspicion of association with the group. After this arrest, the group became inactive.
Conti Ransomware
The Conti group of cybercriminals, which is linked to Russia, caused a major impact on Costa Rica in April . By attacking the Ministry of Finance, the group managed to paralyze the country's export and import activities, causing losses of tens of millions of dollars per day.
This attack had such a significant impact on the country that the president declared a National State of Emergency, marking the first time a cyberattack had triggered such a situation . At the end of May, another attack occurred, also causing disruptions to Costa Rica's healthcare system.
Attacks on the Federal Government
On August 30th, the Federal Government was once again the target of a ransomware attack , perpetrated by the cybercriminal group Everest. This attack sold network access to third parties and compromised approximately 3 terabytes of internal information.
This criminal group is quite active when it comes to digital crimes. They have orchestrated attacks on the Attorney General's Office of the Treasury and the Ministry of Economy, and have also caused losses to the governments of Peru, the United States, and Argentina.
Attack on Record TV
It's not just businesses and shops that can be targets of cyberattacks. The television network Record TV had to deal with an intrusion into its systems in October , which caused significant disruption to its programming.
Cybercriminals have hijacked the broadcaster's archives of programming, content, and news reports, blocking access and demanding a ransom payment.
Attack on the Bank of Brasília – BRB
The Bank of Brasília suffered a ransomware attack in early October of this year. Cybercriminals seized confidential customer information and demanded a payment of 50 bitcoins (equivalent to approximately 5 million reais) to return that information.
Attack on the Golden Cross
The health insurance company suffered a cyberattack in September that affected part of its systems, and again at the end of the same month, it suffered another intrusion. Although the company reports that the attack did not allow access to customer databases and that there is no evidence of any type of exposure of stored data, this type of attack represents a major threat to companies.
Massive Leak of CPF Numbers (Brazilian Individual Taxpayer Registry Numbers)
Although it happened in 2021, the massive leak of CPF numbers (Brazilian taxpayer identification numbers) continues to generate disastrous consequences and demonstrates the magnitude of the impact that cyberattacks can cause . The CPF numbers that were fraudulently obtained are still being sold in bulk online.
Data leak from the Ministry of Health
Due to a cyberattack, the Ministry of Health's database contained information on millions of citizens, including deceased individuals. Among the leaked information were the names, addresses, and CPF numbers (Brazilian taxpayer identification numbers) of these people.
This attack not only affected people registered with the SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system), but also clients of any health insurance provider.
Data theft in healthcare services.
Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers are a frequent target of cybercriminal groups. A Massachusetts-based company called Shields Health Care Group disclosed in June a data breach attack that affected approximately 2 million people nationwide.
Cybercriminals stole important information, such as names, dates of birth, CPF numbers (Brazilian taxpayer ID), billing information, and confidential medical data.
Chinese hackers
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned in early June that some Chinese government-backed hackers had gained access to confidential user data worldwide, primarily from telecommunications companies. By exploiting network vulnerabilities and bugs, the hackers were able to fraudulently collect this information.
How to protect your company with Lumiun Box?
Today there are various forms of protection: systems, software, team training, and many other strategies. However, we know that the main gateway for data breaches in companies is often uninformed or malicious users. Therefore, effectively blocking access and properly managing the company's internet usage is perhaps the best solution to protect company data and information.
Lumiun Boxis a simple, intuitive solution that requires no technical knowledge to install and can manage the entire company's internet network, blocking malicious websites, social networks, dating sites, and much more.
Here are some features and functionalities:
- firewall
- Network port blocking, protecting company data and information.
- Business VPN
- Control and protection of remote connections to the company's internal data and systems.
- Management reports
- Analysis of access in real time and by customized period, facilitating the creation of an internet access control policy.
- Managing multiple networks
- Manage branches or networks from a single dashboard.
Rely on technology to improve processes and eliminate daily worries related to productivity and internet security for your company. Lumiun Lumiun Box demo and see firsthand how the solution improves internet usage .
Until later!
