Global threat actors are significantly increasing their attacks on government targets, as evidenced by a 236% year-on-year rise in malware-driven attempts in the first quarter of 2024, according to analysis by SonicWall. This surge in cyber threats coincides with growing concerns about foreign interference in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with a 27% annual increase in government attacks noted in the month leading up to the election.
SonicWall’s report indicates that recorded distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are projected to exceed last year’s totals by 32%, highlighting the escalating risks faced by critical government services.
In addition to the increase in attacks on government entities, SonicWall reported blocking over 12.9 million attempts targeting Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, a common IoT device often hijacked to create botnets for launching DDoS and other cyber attacks.
The vulnerability of these devices underlines the growing importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure, especially as elections approach. The potential for these attacks to sow doubt about the electoral process raises alarms for cybersecurity experts and governmental authorities alike.
Further complicating the landscape is a recent study revealing that many U.S. county websites, which are crucial for providing election information, could be easily spoofed to disseminate disinformation and conduct phishing campaigns. This vulnerability stems from many of these sites being registered under non-.gov domains, which lack the protective measures that come with official government websites.
Moreover, the study warns that numerous email addresses associated with these sites do not have anti-phishing protocols, such as DMARC, in place, leaving them open to exploitation.
Doug McKee, SonicWall’s executive director of threat research, emphasized the urgent need for multi-layered cybersecurity measures to protect critical government services and electoral systems in light of these threats.
He noted that as attackers increasingly target these systems, collaboration across industries and the sharing of threat intelligence are vital for maintaining electoral integrity and safeguarding vital infrastructure from exploitation. SonicWall also reported a 33% rise in attacks related to the software supply chain since the beginning of the year, echoing findings from Sonatype that highlighted a 156% year-on-year increase in malicious packages targeting open-source ecosystems.
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