A report by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) shows that five different cyber threats in particular are increasing in Europe. The five threats that increased the most during 2019-2020 are ransomware, information leakage, insider threats, identity theft and phishing.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a form of malware that locks or encrypts data until a ransom is paid which may or may not give the victim access to the files again.
Information leakage
When information is disclosed to an unauthorised party. The disclosed information may lead to bad-will or could potentially be utilised for further attacks or even extortion.
Insider threat
The risk that someone from within the organisation uses their knowledge about, or their position within the organisation, for malicious reasons.
Identity theft
Identity theft is when someone steals your personal details in order to commit fraud. For example, they can use your financial details to make purchases.
Phishing
The dishonest presentation of e.g. an e-mail or fake website that enables someone to retrieve sensitive information from the person that has received the message/visited the link (for example passwords or credit card information).
The report also highlights the Covid-19 pandemic as being both a positive and a negative for cybersecurity as many weak points have been discovered when the IT landscape has changed. The pandemic has digitalised society to an even higher degree than before, making individuals and organisations more dependent on a secure cyberspace. Many people have been working from home during the pandemic, meaning that cybersecurity solutions quickly had to meet the new challenges posed. The advanced adversary capabilities of threat actors have also enhanced the impact of Covid-19 on cybersecurity.
According to ENISA, the main motivation for attacks is still financial – consequences could be severe for organisations exposed to e.g. ransomware.
Do you need help with your cybersecurity solutions? Do not hesitate to contact us at Advenica!
