INFOGRAPHIC
INFOGRAPHIC
Dimension Data report reveals
increase in ransomware attacks
targeting supply chain
C
ybercriminals are turning their
attention to the supply chain as a
new means to exploit business data.
This is according to Dimension Data’s newly
published Executive Guide to the NTT Security
2018 Global Threat Intelligence Report, which
has revealed there was a worrying increase in
ransomware and other cyberattacks targeting
the supply chain in 2017.
The report highlighted how the business
and professional services sector received a
significant increase in the number of attacks,
particularly in the EMEA region, where the
sector received 20% of all attacks.
The sector received 10% of global
ransomware attacks, the third most targeted
industry (up from sixth position in 2016),
behind finance and technology. It also
ranked third in the Americas (9%).
As ransomware-related outsourced incident
response engagements against financial
institutions declined (a drop from 22% in
2016 to 5% last year), the business and
professional services supply chain has
clearly become a prime target for trade
secrets and intellectual property theft,
potentially exposing customer and business
partner data.
Despite the drop in outsourced incident
response engagements, the finance
sector remains the number one target
for cybercriminals who carry out regular
reconnaissance to spot potential
infrastructure and application vulnerabilities.
Mark Thomas, Dimension Data’s Group
CTO for Cybersecurity, said: “There are
numerous moving parts to supply chains
and outsourcing companies, which often
run on disparate and outdated network
infrastructures, making them easy prey
to cyberthreat actors. Service providers
and outsourcers are also a prime target,
due to their trade secrets and intellectual
property. Businesses need to wise-up to the
very real threats against them and ensure
all aspects of their operations are robustly
and securely protected.”
Technology was the second most
cyberattacked industry in 2017, with a
19% attack volume, with business and
professional services moving to third place.
Interestingly, attacks on the government
sector in 2017 dropped to 5% from 9%
in 2016.
Also last year, there was a massive 350%
rise in ransomware, representing 7% of
all global malware attacks (up from 1% in
2016) and it’s set to continue due to the
popularity of cyber adversary campaigns.
“In Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA),
ransomware accounted for nearly 30%
of cyberattacks compared to the global
average of 7%. EMEA was also the only
region in which ransomware was the
number one type of malware due to
various cyberattack campaigns including
the WannaCry and NotPetya epidemic,”
said Mechelle Buys Du Plessis, Managing
Director UAE, Dimension Data.
“New regulations, an alarming spike in
ransomware attacks and an uncertain
geopolitical picture all contributed to unique
cybersecurity challenges for the EMEA
region over the last year. The business and
professional services sector was the most
targeted sector in EMEA, representing
20% of all attacks. This sector includes
organisations such as service providers and
outsourcers, making them a prime target
for theft of trade secrets and intellectual
property. If left unprotected, organisations
may have their customer and partner
data/credentials exposed. These can be
used by cybercriminals to remotely access
infrastructure, unimpeded.” n
“
IN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST
AND AFRICA (EMEA), RANSOMWARE
ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY 30% OF
CYBERATTACKS COMPARED TO THE
GLOBAL AVERAGE OF 7%.
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