An annual report based on detailed, firsthand observations of cloud computing businesses, frontline cyber analysts, and digital analysts lifts the lid on the global cyberthreat landscape.
The increasing volume of data extortion, ransomware, supply chain attacks, and nation-state threats display the strength and sophistication of the cybercriminal market, Crowdstrike says in its 2021 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report.
“Amidst the threat of criminal adversaries stealing sensitive data and state-sponsored cybersecurity attacks that evade detection, security teams must stay clear-eyed and resolute to secure both their on-premises systems and cloud environments,” says George Kurtz, CrowdStrike CEO and Co-Founder.
The 2021 Global Threat Report highlights that cybersecurity criminals are getting bolder and smarter each day. There is an urgent need for comprehensive cloud-native technology to stay one step ahead of modern-day e-Crime.
“As remote work is increasingly becoming permanent, identity protection is central to the defense of any organization’s IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity teams must aim for increased visibility and prevention capabilities to protect data and outmaneuver threat actors,” said Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike.
Other key findings from the 2021 Global Threat Report include:
- Large criminal organizations have become focused on “big game hunting” where valuable data on COVID-19 vaccine research from healthcare organizations are held for ransom.
- The introduction of Dedicated Leak Sites (DLS) accelerates the use of data extortion techniques.
- Nearly four out of five cybersecurity issues involve data extortion, ransomware, and nation-state threats.
Who Is Responsible for Cybersecurity Crimes?
The 2021 Global Threat Report identifies the most advanced and most dangerous cybercriminals around the world.
- Wizard Spider
An established e-Crime mega-corporation and a ‘big game hunting’ adversary, its diverse criminal technological toolset makes it the most reported threat actor in 2020. - Wicked Panda
CrowdStrike Intelligence refers to this suspected China-based adversary as a prolific hacker that specializes in exploiting multiple vulnerabilities of organizations. - This is one of the most active targeted intrusion adversaries with ties to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
- Nation-State Actors
- Chinese-based cybercriminals: The souring of US-China relations leads to an uptick in digital attacks and data breaches against the healthcare, technology, and energy sectors.
- Iranian-based cybercriminals: Mobile malware, strategic web compromise (SWC) activities, and new tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) ate used to expand their “soft war” campaigns and dissident endeavors in 2020.
- North Korean-based cybercriminals: The goal of DPRK-based is to compromise and infiltrate inter-Korea intelligence agencies and financial industry.
- Russian-based cybercriminals: These are considered as one of the most destructive cybersecurity adversaries focusing on attacking law enforcement, military entities, and the Ukrainian government.
What Organizations Must Do
- Enterprise security teams can safeguard their systems against sophisticated cybersecurity attacks.
- Employ an external fully managed cybersecurity team to perform threat intelligence, threat hunting, and endpoint recovery services.
- Seek the expertise of a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to develop and implement a robust cybersecurity policy for the organization.
Protect Digital Assets from Advanced Cyber Threats
In today’s connected world, a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is integral for quickly remediating or preventing cyberattacks. There should be preventive actions and mitigations for a reduced risk of loss, theft, or destruction of sensitive data.
Is your organization able to respond quickly to ongoing threats and confidently prepared to fend off criminal groups? If not, you need Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Services right away. Learn more about how ClinkIT Solutions can Secure, Optimize, and Synchronize (S.O.S.) your business cybersecurity through certified CISO services. Get started today.
