According to a new global report on cyberattacks in Latin America, the number of hacks on companies in Argentina increased by up to 22% year-on-year, the highest in the region.
The report, which was shared by Check Point Research, which specializes in cyber security across the world, indicates that the education and research sector was the most affected in the number of incidents, with an average of 2,507 attacks per organization in the first quarter of 2023. . week, representing a 15% increase from the first quarter of 2022.
The government and military sector was the second most affected with an average of 1,725 hacks per week, experiencing a 3% increase over the previous year, while the healthcare sector also experienced a significant increase with an average of 1,684 cyber threats. , marking a substantial growth of 22% over the previous year.
The report shows that the retail/wholesale sector was the one that experienced year-on-year growth, 49%, with an average of 1079 attacks per week.
This increase in hacks shows that cyber criminals are finding new ways to weaponize legitimate digital tools for malicious gain.
For example, many hackers have started using ChatGPT for code generation which can help less knowledgeable and less skilled criminals to easily launch cyber attacks. Furthermore, it is pertinent to note that hackers have changed their approach. Motivated by high profits, not only financial, but also political and even social, hackers are increasingly attacking organizations over individuals.
On the other hand, security managers of companies and organizations should focus on developing and implementing a security strategy that addresses blind spots and vulnerabilities in their systems. So far this year, for example, weekly 1 in 31 organizations worldwide have experienced a ransomware attack, according to the report.
This is why an integrated security approach to preventive control should be considered. Only in this way will companies and organizations be prepared and protected against the next generation of cyber attacks. Check Point Research shared new prevention strategies that companies should adopt to avoid cyber attacks:
Perform risk assessments regularly – these actions can provide greater visibility into potential threats. Once potential breaches are identified, companies can create incident response plans.
Promote a culture of security and awareness of digital threats among employees, partners and customers through training, awareness campaigns and regular communication.
Develop contingency plans to respond to possible outages and strikes. This includes improving data backup practices and incident response plans.
Invest in technology and cyber security solutions.
To foster innovation and explore the use of technologies that can automate cyber security processes and therefore reduce the risk of human error.
