Hacker attacks are multiplying, SMEs in the crosshairs

Listen to the audio version of the article

SMEs in the sights of hackers while cyberattacks multiply worldwide. During 2023, cyber attacks discovered in the world were 7,068 with a +184% compared to the previous year. Nearly two-thirds, 61%, were generated by the dark web. The targets are mainly in the Americas (+50%) and Europe (+27%). As regards Italy, in the first half of 2023 there was an 85.7% increase in attacks compared to the previous quarter. And SMEs, especially small micro-companies, have confirmed themselves as hackers’ favorite targets. Alarming data given the Italian entrepreneurial fabric, centered on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, traditionally weak in terms of defense against cyber attacks and with limited economic resources to invest in security. This is what is highlighted by the first annual report on the evolution of cybersecurity created by Assintel – Confcommercio through its Cyber ​​Think Tank.

Among the tools used by hackers there is above all malware with which they manage to launch attacks classified as serious or very serious while those with a critical impact are 24%. The critical ones are the attacks which then have a significant impact in economic, legal and reputational terms for the victims. Manufacturing is the most affected sector where the offensives have gone from 5% to 16%, followed by the professional/scientific/technical, ICT, healthcare and financial/insurance sectors. The most used techniques for cyber attacks are malware, which has reached 70% of the total attacks, followed by the use of vulnerabilities and unknown techniques. Nearly a quarter of attacks had critical impacts, while 67% had severe impacts. This indicates a significant increase in attacks with catastrophic economic, legal or reputational consequences for victims. Assintel’s Cyber ​​Think Tank highlights the urgent need to strengthen cybersecurity measures and promote public-private collaboration to effectively counter this growing threat to digital security.

The first quarter saw a significant increase in cyber attacks aimed at stealing data and demanding ransoms in exchange for restoring affected systems. In the first quarter of 2023, 898 targets were recorded attacked via ransomware in 79 different countries, a growth of 19% compared to the previous quarter. A 161% increase in ransomware victims was observed between January and March 2023, +19% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. In particular, Italy saw an 85.7% increase in victims compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. In the second quarter of 2023, the number of victims of ransomware attacks increased by 62% compared to the previous quarter, with 1,451 victims recorded. SMEs, in particular small micro-companies, have confirmed themselves as the favorite target of criminal hackers, representing 80% of victims.

Globally, services businesses were hit hardest by ransomware gangs, accounting for 47% of victims. Alongside ransomware attacks, phishing continued to pose a significant cybersecurity threat throughout 2023. Attackers used increasingly sophisticated methods to trick users into obtaining sensitive information, such as passwords and financial data In the second half of 2023, the trend of ransomware attacks continued, with a total of 2,616 (11% increase compared to the first half) victims recorded in 94 different countries. Ransomware gangs continued to be active, with a total of 52 groups identified. The United States was the most affected country, followed by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Italy. The LockBit, CLOP, PLAY, Alphv/BlackCat, and 8BASE gangs dominated the ransomware threat landscape during this period.

The most affected sectors include manufacturing, services, construction, finance and healthcare. Pierguido Iezzi, coordinator of the Cyber ​​Think tank Assintel, underlines that the trend of ransomware attacks in 2023 confirms the growing vulnerability of companies of all sizes. «The 2023 cyber risk report released by the Assintel Cyber ​​Think Tank underlines an unavoidable truth: the phenomenon of ransomware attacks confirms the growing vulnerability of companies of all sizes – comments Pierguido Iezzi, coordinator of the Assintel Think Tank -. In this context, characterized by ever-increasing complexity and threat, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, the fundamental role of trade associations in the cybersecurity sector clearly emerges.”