Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Cybersecurity has become a critical concern in every business sector nowadays due to organizations’ growing dependency on technologies. Research by Immersive Lab reported that in 2019 there were more than 20,000 new vulnerabilities. Not only that, TechRepublic reported that global companies experienced a 148% spike in ransomware attacks after COVID-19 hit the world. So, for most organizations, the question isn’t who will be the target of a cyber attack.

In 2021, there are two words that can send a cold chill down the spine of any Cybersecurity professional and business leader; Phishing and Ransomware. Research carried out by the Data Analytics and training company CybSafe, identified that 22% of all cyber incidents reported in the first quarter of 2021 were ransomware attacks. According to the figures obtained from the Information Commissioners Office, they are up by 11% compared to 2020.

Ransomware groups have been exploiting the switch to remote work unlike any other. Ransomware attacks increased by more than 485% in 20201. By 2031, a new organization is expected to fall prey to a ransomware attack every 2 seconds2. Multiple reports by threat hunting firms confirm that the primary attack vector they are using to infiltrate corporate networks are poorly guarded Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections.

A selection of this week’s more interesting vulnerability disclosures and cyber security news. For a daily selection see our twitter feed at #ionCube24. Cryptocurrencies are never far from the news, and with El Salvador making it an official currency many are jumping at the slightest news of an uptick in respectability. That thirst has not gone unnoticed and a fantastic coup played out in the last week.

For the past 10-plus years, cybersecurity solutions have been innovating rapidly to thwart new threats. But as they solved security challenges, new ones constantly emerged — especially as organizations continue to expedite their digital transformation efforts and shift to the cloud.

APTs (Advanced Persistent Threat) have more serious consequences than conventional cyberattacks. The explanation for this lies in the fact that, on the one hand, the perpetrators spend much more time and effort (often promoted by government organizations), and on the other, the victims are also more high profile.