Human error continues to underpin the success of global cyberattacks. This is stated in Verizon's latest Data Breach Investigations Report, which analyzed 16,312 security incidents and 5,199 breaches. According to the study, the human element is responsible for 74% of violations. One of the most common ways used by cyber criminals to exploit human vulnerability to their advantage is represented by social engineering, i.e. access to sensitive company information obtained thanks to fake emails or messages via social media and WhatsApp, where they ask to open links or directly access information, often impersonating someone else. When hackers click on malicious links or open infected files, they settle in systems, and then proceed with their campaigns.
According to the new Data Breach Investigations Report, the cost of companies to recover their machines from ransomware has increased. It is one of the most feared cyber threats, because it restricts access to computers and files, with the demand for a ransom in order to lift the block. For researchers, the average cost per accident attributable to these viruses has more than doubled in the last two years, to $26,000.
In 95% of cases that led to economic loss, ransomware cost between $1 million and $2.25 million. In addition, in two years, the number of ransomware attacks was higher than in the previous five years combined. A spread that has not changed in 2023, given that the threat represents almost a quarter of all violations examined. Despite the fact that espionage is the subject of media attention - due to the current geopolitical context - only 3% of criminals are driven by this reason. The remaining 97% is motivated by economic gains.
