The frequency of high-severity incidents involving direct human involvement surpassed a staggering average of two per day throughout the year 2023.
In a recent revelation by the Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team, the frequency of high-severity incidents involving direct human involvement surpassed a staggering average of two per day throughout the year 2023. This alarming trend, highlighted in the latest MDR Analyst Report, delineates a concerning landscape across various industries, with the financial, IT, government, and industrial sectors bearing the brunt of these incidents.
According to the comprehensive report, a substantial 22.9% of all detected high-severity incidents besieged the government sector. Following closely, IT companies accounted for 15.4% of such incidents, trailed by financial and industrial sectors at 14.9% and 11.8% respectively.
The annual MDR Analyst Report serves as a crucial repository of information concerning reported incidents, their nature, and their distribution across industries and geographic regions. It meticulously dissects the most common tactics, techniques, and tools utilized by attackers in the preceding year, drawing insights from the analysis of MDR incidents by the Kaspersky Security Operations Center (SOC).
Delving into the nature of these incidents, it is revealed that nearly a quarter of them were instigated by human factors. Interestingly, the percentage of malware attacks yielding severe consequences witnessed a marginal dip in 2023 compared to previous years, constituting just over 12% of the total reported critical incidents. This decline, attributed to the “commoditization of attacks,” marks the smallest share of high-severity incidents in recent memory.
A comparative analysis of cyberattack statistics between Pakistan’s first quarters of 2023 and 2024 unveils a nuanced panorama of threats. Kaspersky telemetry discerns a moderate uptick in backdoor attacks in 2024, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities in digital infrastructures.
Particularly striking is the substantial surge in spyware attacks, which burgeoned by a staggering 300% during Q1 of 2024 compared to the corresponding period in 2023, accentuating mounting apprehensions over espionage and data exfiltration. Conversely, banking malware attacks witnessed a decline of over 50% from 2023, illustrating the dynamic nature of cyber threats and the pressing need for continual fortification of cybersecurity measures.
“In 2023, Kaspersky detected a reduced number of high-severity incidents, yet concurrently witnessed a surge in medium and low severity ones. It is imperative to comprehend that the diminished count of high-severity incidents does not necessarily signify reduced damage. Targeted attacks are now orchestrated with meticulous planning, rendering them even more perilous. Hence, we advocate for the adoption of robust automated cybersecurity solutions managed under the guidance of seasoned SOC analysts,” remarks Hafeez Rehman, Technical Group Manager at Kaspersky.
In order to fortify defenses against sophisticated attacks, companies are strongly advised to deploy effective cybersecurity solutions and enlist proficient practitioners to oversee them or consider embracing managed security services such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Incident Response. These proactive measures are deemed indispensable in safeguarding digital assets against a spectrum of evolving threats.