The Forescout Technologies “2024H1 Threat Review” report highlights a significant increase in cybersecurity threats during the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year. Vulnerabilities surged by 43%, with 23,668 reported, averaging 111 new CVEs daily. About 20% of these vulnerabilities impacted VPN and network infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced security measures.
“Attackers are looking for any weak point to breach IT, IoT, and OT devices, and organisations that don’t know what they have connected to their networks or if it’s secured are being caught flat-footed,” said Barry Mainz, Forescout CEO.
Ransomware attacks also rose, with incidents climbing 6% to 3,085, predominantly targeting the U.S., Germany, and India. The report identifies a dramatic expansion of ransomware groups, increasing by 55%. The top sectors affected include government, financial services, and technology, with the U.S. experiencing the highest number of attacks.
Furthermore, the report details a worrying trend of state-sponsored actors utilizing hacktivist fronts to disguise cyber warfare activities, particularly targeting critical infrastructure. Groups like Predatory Sparrow and Karma Power exemplify this shift, leveraging hacktivism as a cover.
Forescout emphasizes that organisations must strengthen their network visibility and proactive security measures to combat these threats. Key recommendations include assessing device visibility, patching vulnerabilities, enforcing strong credentials, and segmenting networks. The report warns that attackers are shifting focus from managed endpoints to unmanaged devices, which lack adequate security and visibility.
In conclusion, the findings underscore the critical need for organisations to adopt comprehensive security strategies to mitigate the rising tide of vulnerabilities and ransomware threats in an increasingly complex cyber landscape.
He suggested that to mitigate these extensive threats, organisations must enhance their visibility across network infrastructure, build proactive security measures, and consider replacing outdated VPN solutions. “Comprehensive security strategies, including having visibility into all devices and robust access controls, are crucial to protect against these emerging and expanding threats,” Mainz concluded.