Cyber threats increased by 17% in 2023

Research reveals 16m cyberattacks were blocked

PESHAWAR:

Experts of the global cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky have revealed that the number of overall cyber threats in Pakistan increased by 17% in 2023 as compared to 2022.

The facts surfaced in a recent discussion on the evolution of the cyber threat landscape in the region during its 9th annual Cyber Security Weekned-META 2024 on Monday, a statement said.

Kaspersky blocked 16 million cyberattacks in 2023 whereas 24.4% of users in Pakistan are affected by online threats.

The focal point of the discussions was the security of emerging technology trends such as AI that are influencing the scale of modern threats.

In parallel, threats targeting industrial control systems within critical infrastructure, in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia were also discussed.

Dissecting the threat landscape further, Kaspersky experts saw attacks using banking malware rose by 59%. Such attacks are designed to collect online banking credentials and other sensitive information from infected machines.

Researchers also reported an increase of 35% in trojan attacks that disguise themselves as legitimate computer programmes but are used to run malicious code by cyber criminals.

In addition, ransomware attacks designed to encrypt a victim’s data, files, or system, making them accessible in exchange for a payment, increased by 24%.

Also, the researchers reported attacks using spyware rose by 36%, such attacks are malicious software that enters a user’s computer, gathers data from the device and user, and sends it to third parties without their consent.

“Being an emerging country and accepting digital transformation at a good pace, Pakistan has a very important role to play in Asia”, the statement added.

As the cybersecurity landscape evolves, cyber threats continue to become diverse and sophisticated.
This trend is particularly evident due to the emergence of advanced technologies like AI and the escalating geopolitical and economic turbulence within the META region.

META Research Center Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) Director Amin Hasbini stated that these factors collectively contribute to the surge in cybercrime and the heightened complexity of cyberattacks.

According to Kaspersky’s analysis, the cybersecurity threat landscape in the META region has fluctuated significantly.

In the region, Turkey saw the highest number of users affected by online threats – 41.8%, followed by Kenya 39.2%, Qatar 38.8% and South Africa 35%.

Fewer users were affected in Oman – 23.4% and Egypt 27.4% followed by Saudi Arabia 29.9% and Kuwait 30.8%. app