To kick off the new year, Check Point Research (CPR), the threat intelligence division of Check Point Software Technologies, shared global statistics regarding the increase in cyber attacks observed in 2021 by region, country and sector. In the year just ended, CPR saw a 50% increase in cyber attacks per week on corporate networks compared to 2020, peaking in December, largely due to Log4J exploits – reaching 925 cyber attacks per week per organization. globally. Hackers have targeted Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America, but Europe has seen the highest increase in the percentage of cyber attacks. The Education / Research sector ranked first among the most targeted industrial sectors in the world.
The sectors most targeted by hackers worldwide for Cyber attacks in 2021
In this regard, Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Software stated: “Hackers never stop innovating their techniques. Last year, we saw a staggering 50% more cyber attacks per week, compared to 2020. The peak came towards the end of the year, largely due to attempts to exploit the Log4J vulnerability. New penetration techniques and evasion methods have made the life of hackers much easier ”.
“What is most alarming is the list of the sectors most attacked. Education, government and healthcare have joined in
in the list of the 5 most targeted sectors globally. I expect these numbers to increase in 2022,
as hackers will continue to innovate and find new ways to carry out cyber attacks,
specifically, ransomware attacks “.
“We are witnessing a cyber pandemic. I strongly urge people, especially those in education, government and health care, to learn the basics of how to protect themselves. Simple measures like patching, network segmentation and employee training can help make the world safer. “