Global Cyberattacks Grow by 8%, Report Finds

Weekly cyberattacks have increased by 8% globally compared to a year ago, according to a Cyber Attack Report by software company Check Point. Specifically, the report found that the average number of attacks per organization per week reached 1,258 in the second quarter of 2023—representing a year-on-year increase of 8%. This increase is significant, considering the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the cyber threat landscape has relatively subsided in recent months. According to Check Point, the landscape has returned to a “new normal,” now characterized by increased cyberattacks with new evasive tactics, hacktivist-based attacks and frequent ransomware.

Report Findings in Detail

According to Check Point’s data, the education/research sector was the most affected by cyberattacks, with an average of 2,179 weekly attacks. The government/military sector was the second most targeted, with 1,772 attacks per week, with the healthcare sector following closely behind with 1,744. Notably, the healthcare sector’s figure represents a considerable year-on-year increase of 30%.

One particular cyberattack type, ransomware, is singled out in the data set. Specifically, 1 out of every 44 organizations worldwide experienced a ransomware attack in the second quarter of 2023. Within North America, this was 1 out of every 94 organizations. Although lower than the global equivalent, this figure represents a significant 15% year-on-year increase, indicating the growing ransomware threat for organizations across North America, including those in Canada.

Cybersafety Tips

The growing cyber threat landscape in Check Point’s research highlights the need for heightened vigilance and robust cybersecurity. Organizations would be prudent to review their cybersecurity measures and consider the following tips:

• Perform regular patches. Organizations should develop a patch management strategy with regular patching to keep computers and servers up to date.
• Conduct employee awareness training. Organizations should train employees on cybersecurity topics, including phishing awareness, device security and robust password techniques.
• Strengthen user authentication. Organizations should leverage multifactor authentication to reduce the likelihood of brute-force attacks.
• Implement preventative controls. Organizations should establish network perimeter defences (e.g., web filtering and firewall policies) to detect and block suspicious downloads and leverage other software solutions to monitor potential attack vectors continually.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations of all types and sizes must tighten cybersecurity measures. Contact us today for further risk mitigation strategies and guidance on securing robust cyber insurance.

Did you know that 60% of small and medium businesses don’t survive after a cyber attack? Protect your business with Cyber Insurance, call us at 780.424.2727 or click here to get a quote.