Work in one of these 10 industries? Scammers are targeting you
Any Komando.com reader knows that antivirus software is essential for your computer, but that’s not the only device you should be protecting. Smartphone cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common. Tap or click here for tips on shielding your iPhone and Android from the countless threats out there.
Cyberattacks of all kinds are on the rise and show no signs of slowing down. Numerous industries are being targeted all over the world, with some being hit much harder than others.
Who’s the most vulnerable? What can you do to protect yourself? Read on for everything you need to know.
Here’s the scary situation
According to a report from Check Point Research, global cyberattacks were up 38% in 2022 compared to 2021. That number is even higher for the U.S. alone, at 57% higher. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated — and more evasive, by breaking up into smaller groups to avoid getting caught.
Threat actors are also launching phishing campaigns involving collaboration tools like Slack, Teams, OneDrive and Google Drive, which are seeing increased use due to people still working remotely.
The pandemic has contributed to the rise in cyberattacks in other ways, too. As educational institutions hastily shifted to virtual classrooms, they inadvertently created new doorways for hackers. On top of that, the students themselves used their own devices and connected to unsecured networks, exacerbating the problem.
When it comes to the healthcare industry, hospitals are seen as lacking in resources to protect against cyberattacks — especially the smaller institutions. Hospital records are a treasure trove of information. Health insurance, medical record numbers and Social Security numbers provide plenty of ammunition for ransomware attacks.
Here are the top 10 average numbers of weekly cyberattacks in 2022, with the percentage increase from 2021 in parentheses:
- Education/Research: 2,314 (+43%)
- Government/Military: 1,661 (+46%)
- Healthcare: 1,463 (+74%)
- Communications: 1,380 (+27%)
- Internet Service Provider/Managed Service Provider: 1,372 (+28%)
- Finance/Banking: 1,131 (+52%)
- Utilities: 1,101 (+48%)
- Insurance/Legal: 957 (+47%)
- Manufacturing: 950 (+36%)
- Leisure/Hospitality: 943 (+60%)
Security researchers are warning about the dangers of AI technology contributing to the rise of attacks, too. The chatbot ChatGPT is capable of writing code and phishing campaigns at a faster pace than humans alone. Tap or click here for more details on how this AI tool is being manipulated by hackers and scammers.
What you can do to protect yourself
This phishing attack lets hackers read and send emails from your account
Passwords are heading toward becoming a thing of the past. That’s because more and more websites enable you to use your Google or Microsoft credentials to log in instead of creating new ones.
This functionality is called Open Authorization (OAuth) and grants third-party apps permission to access your information. For example, think of the ability to post Instagram photos to your Facebook or Twitter feed.
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Hackers have a bottomless bag of tricks they use to get to your files and personal information. They target victims through malicious emails, texts, websites and more. They can also attack through devices connected to a network, including your computer, phone, tablet and even your printer.
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It’s rare for malware threats to stay the same. In fact, the more time that passes without addressing a threat, the more dangerous it becomes. That’s why early detection, patches and education are critical to protecting people from cyberattacks.