"Governments and public services, such as public transport, schools, and non-profit organizations, are an interesting target for cybercriminals. These criminals usually cause maximum damage because these sectors are often poorly secured," says Ismael Valenzuela, Vice President of Threat Research and Intelligence at BlackBerry. "With limited resources and inadequate cybersecurity programs, these organizations struggle to defend themselves against the dual threats of cybercriminals. To protect the vital services of these organizations and the foundation upon which our society relies, it is crucial that they properly design and strengthen their security strategies."
Other findings from the research are:
- Increase in cyberattacks per minute: From March 1 to May 31, 2023, BlackBerry stopped over 1.5 million attacks. Cybercriminals, on the other hand, deployed an average of 1.7 new malware samples per minute, which is an increase of 13 percent compared to the average of 1.5 new samples per minute in the previous quarter (December 2022 – February 2023). The conclusion is that attackers are adjusting their resources to bypass defensive measures.
- Healthcare and financial services are the most frequently targeted: The healthcare sector is a significant target for cybercriminals due to the valuable data and crucial services. BlackBerry has thwarted more than 109,922 attacks in the healthcare sector over the past ninety days. As ransomware groups continue to attack these sectors to steal information, the report highlights the importance of securing patient data and ensuring that essential medical services can be delivered.
- Mobile malware on the rise: Financial service providers are facing persistent threats from smartphone-oriented malware, ransomware attacks, and the increase of mobile banking malware. The research outlines the cybersecurity challenges for the financial sector as criminals exploit the popularity of online banking.
More information about BlackBerry's Global Threat Intelligence report can be found here.