IT security: growing attacks and new protection plans

The rise of cyberattacks on a global scale is a worrying phenomenon, with ransomware continuing to be the main threat to the public. That's the conclusion that emerged from the latest report published by Check Point Research, a company specializing in information security. According to analysts, during the first 3 months of 2023, weekly attacks worldwide increased by 7% compared to the previous year, reaching an average of 1,248 attacks per week for each organization targeted. The education and research sector suffered the most attacks, with an average of 2,507 attacks per week, marking a 15% increase compared to 2022. The main threat is posed by ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts systems infected and demands a ransom from the victim to restore access to their data. According to Check Point Research, one in 31 organizations globally experienced a ransomware attack every week from January to March of this year. Although the increase in cases has not been significant, the researchers have observed a number of well-organized campaigns by cybercriminals who are exploiting various tools for malicious purposes. A recent example is the use of ChatGpt to generate code, thus making it easier for inexperienced hackers to launch cyberattacks. In its 2023 security report, the security agency points out that the Government/Military sector was hit the hardest by ransomware attacks in the first quarter of the year, with one in 20 organizations targeted every week. However, there was a slight decrease of 2% compared to the previous year. The Finance/Banking sector was the second most affected, with one company in 25 targeted and a growth of 32% compared to 2022. The Education/Research segment ranks third, with one organization affected in 26, recording a drop of 8% compared to the previous 12 months.