Acronis has published its Mid-Year Cyberthreats Report, revealing concerning trends in the cybersecurity landscape. The report highlights a 464% increase in email-based phishing attacks in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT to craft malicious content and conduct cyberattacks. Acronis states that ransomware remains a dominant threat to small and medium-sized businesses. This is mainly due to attackers leveraging AI-created malware to avoid detection by traditional antiviruses.
The cyberattack landscape is evolving
In the report, Acronis also emphasizes the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks. These attacks utilize AI and existing ransomware code to penetrate victims’ systems and extract valuable data, making detection more challenging. Cybercriminals use public AI models to find source code vulnerabilities and develop attacks (including deep fakes).
Additionally, the study shows that phishing is the primary method cybercriminals use to steal login credentials. The use of large language model-based AI platforms has enabled cybercriminals to create, automate, and scale new attacks more efficiently. The report reveals a growing number of data stealers who exploit stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Breaches demonstrate major security concerns
Acronis points out some major security concerns that contribute to successful breaches, including a lack of strong security solutions to detect zero-day vulnerabilities, delayed updates of vulnerable software, and inadequate protection for Linux servers. Moreover, some organizations fail to follow proper data backup protocols, which can lead to severe consequences during attacks.
Acronis encourages companies to take a proactive stance in cyber protection. A comprehensive cybersecurity posture requires a multi-layered solution that combines various security measures. This includes anti-malware, email security, vulnerability assessments, backup capabilities and more. The report also includes steps that companies can take to increase their cyber protection:
If you are interested to read the full Acronis Mid-Year Cyberthreats Report 2023, click here.