Cyber Magazine August 2024 | Page 72

CYBERSECURITY
What shortly followed was a spate of 44 cases of cybercriminal groups targeting health care organisations with ransomware attacks , as observed by Cybersecurity firm Recorded Future .
“ This surge in ransomware attacks correlates with reports indicating a record-breaking amount of over US $ 1bn paid to ransomware attackers in 2023 ,” says Jamie Collier , Lead Threat Intelligence Advisor ( Europe ) at Mandiant . “ This highlights a concerning synergy between the substantial payouts and the frequency of attacks .”
Not only can the haul be big , but AI is lowering the price of admission , as well as increasing the sophistication and , in turn , their potential targets .
“ The cost to compromise a business is going down ,” says Carl Wearn , Head of Threat Intelligence Analysis and Future Ops at Mimecast . “ The adoption of new tech has meant that it ’ s less expensive for attackers to target businesses , allowing them to broaden their targets . Attackers are using AI and new technology to help execute their crimes , accelerating the sophistication of phishing attacks and ransomware attacks .”
This introduction of AI being used in offence has companies increasingly looking to utilise it in defence , using it to analyse things like phishing , and malware as part of threat intelligence and incident response .
Yet , that is only one brick in the wall of cyber defence necessary for the new wave .
“ We know that cybersecurity is a multifaceted challenge that requires a collective effort to overcome ,” says Carl .
Where to be aware Although the object of ransomware is always the same ( to exploit a ransom ) the method of getting to the point in which you can hold someone to ransom is different . Therefore , a large part of fighting ransomware revolves around threat intelligence - knowing where it can strike .
“ In today ’ s digital landscape , email continues to be the primary point of entry for significant cyber threats
72 August 2024