While the disruptive impact of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict on the cyber landscape has relatively reduced in recent months, the threat landscape has returned to a state of “normality.” An increase in cyberattacks characterises this new normal, as this report unravels the use of new evasive tactics, frequent hacktivism-based attacks, and a daily barrage of ransomware targeting numerous organisations. Despite the waning effect of the conflict on the cyber threat landscape, the persistence of these threats highlights the ongoing need for heightened vigilance and robust cybersecurity measures to counteract the relentless and evolving nature of cyberattacks.
In recent months, it was reported that the unravelling of a Chinese-based APT that targeted governmental entities, hidden malware that was spotted behind legitimate-looking apps, a new version of Chinese espionage that was propagated through USB devices and a malicious firmware implants discovered on internet routers. In addition, cybercriminals continue to leverage the latest AI revolution, by stretching the borders of generative AI chat platforms such as ChatGPT4.
Overall Global Attacks – Highest number noted in the past 2 years
In Q2 2023, there was an 8% increase in global average weekly attacks compared to the previous year.
The average number of attacks per organisation per week reached 1258 attacks – the highest number noted by Check Point Research in the past 2 years.
Attacks per Industry: Education / Research tops the list, Healthcare sees a significant rise in average weekly attacks
During Q2 2023, the Education/Research sector experienced the highest number of attacks, with an average of 2179 attacks per organisation per week, marking a 6% decrease compared to Q2 2022. The Government/Military sector was the second most attacked, with an average of 1772 attacks per week, which represents a 9% increase from the parallel period last year. The Healthcare sector followed closely behind, with an average of 1744 attacks per week, reflecting a significant YoY increase of 30%. Â
Overall Attacks per Region: Africa & APAC top targeted regions
During Q2 2023, Africa experienced the highest average number of weekly cyber-attacks per organisation, with an average of 2164 attacks. This signifies a significant year-on-year increase of 23% compared to the same period in 2022. The APAC region also witnessed a substantial 22% YoY increase in the average number of weekly attacks per organisation, reaching an average of 2046 attacks.
| Region | Weekly Average of attacks per org | YoY Change |
| Africa | 2164 | +23% |
| APAC | 2046 | +22% |
| North America | 1011 | +18% |
| Latin Americas | 1745 | +9% |
| Europe | 1013 | +5% |
