The latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report reveals significant insights into cybersecurity incidents. Ransomware attacks now constitute a significant portion of recorded security incidents, while the Log4j vulnerability was utilized in 75% of digital espionage campaigns.
Surprisingly, employees pose a more practical cyber threat to organizations than state-sponsored hacking groups. The report highlights the increasing intensity of distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, driven by the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
According to the report, ransomware incidents have plateaued at 24% over the past two years, after years of steady growth.
Encryption and extortion now account for 15.5% of all reported cybersecurity incidents, making it the second most frequently reported action after DDoS. However, ransomware remains the most likely cause of a system breach, with hackers frequently employing it during system intrusion incidents.
The Log4j vulnerability, initially a cause for alarm, saw a massive public-private effort to identify and patch affected systems. While the number of exploitable systems decreased, the report confirms the bug’s impact, as it was present in 73% of digital espionage cases and 26% of organized crime incidents.
Furthermore, the data reveals that financial motives drive nearly 95% of all breaches, highlighting that profit rather than nation-state activities dominate cyber threats.
Verizon’s findings emphasize the significance of human factors in breaches, with approximately 1 in 5 incidents involving insider participation. Despite expectations of increased state-sponsored attacks due to geopolitical tensions, the statistical impact remains limited.
The report underscores the importance of addressing employee cyber threats and continuing efforts to protect against ransomware attacks and vulnerabilities like Log4j.
