The findings of a recent Check Point Research study highlight a disturbing fact: Italy appears to be the second country in Europe most exposed to cyber offensives after Spain.
The number of hacker attacks is truly conspicuous, even if only the most sensational ones earn the headlines.
The last in chronological order of which we have given you news concerned the Roman hospital of San Giovanni, and took place in the night between 12 and 13 September last.
But the summer months were punctuated by more or less successful cybercrime attempts, such as the one at the Tuscan Regional Health Agency. Not to mention the most striking, the hacker attack on the Lazio Region, which took place in the night between July 31 and August 1. Which was defined by the President of the Region, Nicola Zingaretti, as “the most serious cyber offensive ever occurred in our country”.
The form of offensive launched in all these cases, as we will discover, was also the most used in the world.
But now let’s take a closer look at the data released by the Check Point Research company.
Check Point Research data: hacker attacks around the world
Check Point Research is the Threat intelligence division of Check Point Software Technologies, an Israeli manufacturer of network devices and software, specializing in security products such as firewalls and VPNs.
The company released the results of the cybersecurity report on the occasion of cybersecurity month. And it shows global data that is anything but relaxing: in 2021, cyber attacks against companies around the world grew by 40% compared to the previous year.
For all countries (including Italy), the most common form of attack is ransomware. And here we refer to the cases mentioned at the beginning of the article, which all fall within this type of criminal offensive.
We recall in summary that a ransomware is a malware (a malicious software) that blocks a system by encrypting its data. Whoever introduces it takes control of the system and can ask for a ransom to return the command to its rightful owners.
Europe and North America: Cybercrime on the rise
Analyzing the various macro-areas, it turns out that Africa is the most affected continent, with 1615 attacks per week on companies (+ 15% compared to 2020). The Asia-Pacific area follows, with 1299 hacker attacks per week and + 20% compared to last year, and Latin America (1117 attacks, + 37%).
However Europe and North America are the areas that, despite having suffered the least offensive, recorded the greatest increases. In Europe in the current year there are in fact 665 weekly attacks but an increase of as much as 65% compared to 2020. And in North America, 497 attacks and a + 57%.
The sectors most affected
Check Point Research’s analysis shows how globally the sectors most affected by cyber offensives are education and research, with an average of 1468 attacks per week. The increase compared to 2020 is as much as 60 percentage points. Then we have public administration and the army (1802 weekly hacker attacks, + 40%) and health care (752 offensives, + 55%).
Focusing on ransomware attacks, in 2021 one in 61 companies are hit weekly, with a surge of + 9% compared to 2020. The sector most damaged by this specific type of crime is healthcare (and there are many shrewd in Italy), with an increase of 39% compared to last year.
Hacker attacks in Italy
Let’s start with ransomware to talk about the situation in our country.
Every week, in the current year, 1.9% of Italian companies are hit by ransomware. While the overall percentage of cyberattacks grew by 36% in one year. Cybercriminals target 903 companies every week in our country.
We thus find ourselves in second place in the unflattering ranking of the European nations most affected by hacker attacks, just behind Spain.
The month of cybersecurity
Commenting on the data, Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Group Manager, Threat Intelligence and Research Organization at Check Point Software Technologies made statements that we find difficult not to share.
Dembinsky said: “As cybersecurity month, October is the time to remember the role that each of us plays in ensuring cybersecurity., both locally and globally.
Since the pandemic broke out, cybercriminals have taken action by taking advantage of the opportunities that have opened up. As cyber attacks continue to grow, Check Point Software advises organizations to take a preventative approach to cybersecurity, rather than having to run for cover after the damage is done. “