The five most devastating cyber threats in Europe in 2020

The five most devastating cyber threats in Europe in 2020
© naftemporiki.gr

Cyber ​​security has become a necessity in recent decades. Global digitization, both corporate and personal, has developed a number of opportunities as well as risks.

For this reason,“Check Point Software Technologies”, a provider specializing in cybersecurity worldwide, launched the “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart” campaign to raise awareness about the need to protect ourselves in the virtual environment, a project in which we all play a key role.“Check Point Software Technologies” also presented the “Threat Intelligence Report”, which reveals data on cybersecurity at European level.

“Gradually more aspects of our lives are connected to the digital world. We give a lot of information to Internet-connected tools, but we are not yet aware of the importance of protecting this data and implementing cybersecurity strategies that will help us to have a more secure online experience.”

said Giannis Gikas, Regional Manager, Check Point Greece, Cyprus, Romania & Bulgaria.

For these reasons we launched the “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart” awareness campaign. The number of connected IoT devices is increasing, so we must all adopt a “Smart” attitude and commit to prevention as a key cyber security measure in a secure digital life,”

Added Mr. Gikas. 

Data from “Check Point’s Threat Intelligence” report show that, over the past six months, European companies have fallen victim to an average of 333 cyberattacks per week. In addition, “e-mail” is the main way used by hackers to infect European companies, as 90% of malicious files are sent via “email”, which remains a common way. One in two malicious files are “Word” documents with the “.doc” extension, followed by “Excel” files with the “.xls” extension.

In June, “Check Point” unveiled a cyber-threat campaign in which cybercriminals use documents pretending to be CVs to spread various types of malware. These files were emailed as “Microsoft Excel” attachments, and as soon as the victims opened them, they were asked to activate the content. In this way, they downloaded the malware “ZLoader”, a banking “Trojan” designed to steal users’ credentials and personal information. This allowed criminals to engage in illegal financial transactions under the guise of a victim.

According to a study by “Verizon”, “phishing” is the starting point for 90% of cyber attacks, although the range of malicious viruses transmitted through “text messages”, “e-mails”, etc. it is also very high.

For this reason, “Check Point” experts point out the five main cyber threats affecting Europe today, according to the “Threat Intelligence report”:

  1. Pandemic-related cyber threats: The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the most prevalent topic for launching attacks on the internet. The consequences of this virus have affected all aspects of our lives, including the current cyber threat scenario, in which we have seen an increase in the registration of “virus-related domains” for phishing attacks. In addition, many countries have implemented tracking applications, so cybercriminals have found new potential targets to launch their attacks in search of sensitive information.
  1. Ransomware: “Ransomware”, a type of computer virus disguised as another file or program that blocks access to information, is an old enemy. However, in recent years it has evolved significantly, and now uses a new type of attack known as “double extortion”. Using this new variant, hackers extract files before encrypting computers and threaten to publish them on the “dark web” if the ransom is not paid. Hospitals and institutions related to the medical sector have become the main target, mainly due to the large volume of sensitive data they store and low levels of protection, which, along with the health crisis, have left them unprotected.
  1. Mobile threats: Smartphones, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, etc.… Every day there are more and more IoT devices around us that are connected to the Internet. As a result, the modes of attack available to cybercriminals are increasing and developing new ways of infecting the mobile ecosystem. Hackers also take advantage of remote working methods and the use of laptops for work. Modern ways of spreading cyber threats stand out, as they are designed so that they are not detected and spread through mobile applications.
  1. Attacks targeted at “cloud”: “cloud” has been a key technology for migrating companies for remote work purposes. However, the need to transfer or create infrastructure that allows teleworking from scratch so quickly results in not being implemented with proper safety standards. In fact, in the “Cloud 2020” Security Report of “Check Point”, 52% of companies believe that the risk of security breaches is greater in “cloud” environments than in corporate ones. Hackers exploit it to infiltrate corporate networks and gain access to sensitive information, spread malware attacks, etc.
  1. The digital battlefield: Also known as the “cyber-cold war”, is one of the main trends we see today, due to the increase in both the intensity and frequency of activity by criminal groups in the digital world. At a time when traditional strategies for obtaining information are not as effective, the use of cyber technology tools has increased significantly. One of their main goals is to control public opinion. That is why hackers focus on filtering, or extracting sensitive information, attacking critical infrastructure, or even attacks that focus on election or political processes.

Source:

naftemporiki.gr

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