A closer look at the global threat landscape

2020-02-13 06:30

60% of initial entries into victims' networks leveraged either previously stolen credentials or known software vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to rely less on deception to gain access, according to a new IBM report exploring the global threat landscape.

"The amount of exposed records that we're seeing today means that cybercriminals are getting their hands on more keys to our homes and businesses. Attackers won't need to invest time to devise sophisticated ways into a business; they can deploy their attacks simply by using known entities, such as logging in with stolen credentials," said Wendi Whitmore, Vice President, IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence.

While over 100 U.S. government entities were impacted by ransomware attacks last year, there were also significant attacks against retail, manufacturing and transportation -which are known to either hold a surplus of monetizable data or rely on outdated technology and, thus, face the vulnerability sprawl.

In 80% of observed ransomware attempts, attackers were exploiting Windows Server Message Block vulnerabilities, the same tactic used to propagate WannaCry, an attack that crippled businesses across 150 countries in 2017.

Magecart attacks are among the most prominent attacks observed against retail, impacting a reported 80 e-commerce sites in the summer of 2019.

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