The recently published BlackBerry Global Threat Intelligence Report has exposed a significant 40% surge in cyberattacks directed at government and public service entities compared to the previous quarter.
Vital sectors such as public transit, utilities, schools, and other essential government services have fallen prey to this sudden onslaught. These publicly funded organizations, grappling with limited resources and fledgling cyber defense strategies, now face a dual threat from both nation-states and underground criminal actors.
The report, covering events from March to May 2023, provides a fresh perspective on global cybersecurity through a comprehensive geopolitical analysis. Within a span of 90 days, BlackBerry detected and thwarted a staggering 1.5 million attacks, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Key highlights from the report include the revelation that threat actors unleashed approximately 11.5 attacks per minute during the mentioned timeframe, indicating a 13% surge in novel malware samples.
This diversification of attack vectors underscores the adversaries’ efforts to circumvent existing defensive mechanisms. Moreover, the healthcare and financial industries remain among the most heavily targeted sectors, with cybercriminals exploiting the value of data and services within these domains.
The report delves into the heightened cyber risk posed by remote access, particularly affecting financial institutions due to their economic importance and sensitive data holdings.
Additionally, it sheds light on country-specific cyberattacks, with APT28 and the Lazarus Group — state-sponsored actors associated with Russia and North Korea — emerging as highly active threats. These groups have demonstrated a focus on targeting government agencies, military organizations, businesses, and financial institutions across the United States, Europe, and South Korea. The report aims to empower the cybersecurity community by offering a compilation of effective countermeasures and detection techniques, enhancing the global understanding of evolving cyber threats and bolstering defenses.
