Knowing what threats to guard against, also known as threat intelligence, is a key aspect of cybersecurity.
While there are evergreen threats such as ransomware, the way attacks are executed is important as well. In its latest Cyber Attack Trends: 2022 Mid-Year Report, Check Point Research outlined its threat predictions for the rest of the year.
As we were on the topic of ransomware, let’s start there. The cybersecurity research team predicts that ransomware will become a more fragmented ecosystem.
“While ransomware groups have become more structured and operate like regular businesses, with set targets to hit, there will be a lesson learned from the Conti ransomware group, whose size and power garnered too much attention, which led to its downfall. Going forward, we think there will be many small-medium groups instead of a few large ones, to hide in plain sight more effectively,” Check Point Research explains.
There are many theories about what happened with Conti but it appears as if the group has broken apart and members have joined other collectives.
The next threat worth keeping an eye on is continued attacks on blockchain networks. More worryingly, Check Point Research foresees the first attacks in the metaverse taking place this year. This doesn’t bode well for the likes of Meta which has leaned hard into NFTs and its Metaverse. The cybersecurity firm says that initially, the metaverse will be targeted through the exploitation of smart contract vulnerabilities.
Phishing attacks are also set to become more elusive. Following a crackdown on macros by Microsoft, attackers are seeking out new ways to launch attacks. These include using password protected files to skirt detection.
Finally, as the war in Ukraine rages on, Check Point Research foresees a rise and evolution of hacktivism.
“The war in Ukraine has dominated the headlines in the first half of 2022 and we can only hope that it will be brought to a peaceful conclusion soon,” says Maya Horowitz, vice president at Check Point Software. “Its impact on the cyber space has been dramatic in both scope and scale, and we have seen huge increases in cyberattacks against organizations in all sectors and all countries this year. Unfortunately, this will only get worse especially with ransomware now being the number one threat to organizations.”
For a full breakdown of the cybersecurity space as detailed in the Check Point Research Cyber Attack Trends: 2022 Mid-Year Report, head here.
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