Manufacturing will be the industry most affected by cybercrime in 2024

Critical Start, a provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) cybersecurity solutions and a pioneer in Managed Cyber ​​Risk Reduction (MCRR), recently released its semi-annual Cyber ​​Threat Intelligence Report, which includes the top threats in the first half of 2024 as well as emerging cybersecurity trends impacting the manufacturing, healthcare, technology, professional services, engineering and construction industries. The report also includes actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their security posture and proactively mitigate potential cyber risks.

Global cybercrime shows no signs of slowing down and is expected to grow by 15 percent per year over the next five years, reaching $10.5 trillion annually by 2025 (up from $3 trillion in 2015). To determine the most pressing cybersecurity threats of the first half of 2024, the Critical Start Cyber ​​Research Unit (CRU) analyzed 3,438 high-severity and critical alerts from 20 supported endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, as well as 4,602 reports of ransomware and database leak activity across 24 industries in 126 countries.

A worrying trend of cyberattacks targeting certain industries was observed in the first half of 2024. Key findings of the report include:

• The manufacturing and industrial products industry remains the most targeted industry by cyber threat actors in the first half of 2024, with 377 confirmed reports of ransomware attacks and database leaks in the first half of the year.
• The professional services sector has seen an increase in reported database leaks and ransomware attacks, up 15% from 2023, with 351 cases reported compared to 334. Legal services organizations, including courts, and supply chains have become prime targets due to the wealth of intellectual property and sensitive data they hold
• In the healthcare and life sciences sector, ransomware incidents and database leaks increased 180% in February 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, coinciding with the attack on Change Healthcare and other healthcare providers.
• The engineering and construction sector remained a consistent target of cyberattacks in the first half of 2023 and 2024, with the United States bearing the brunt of cyberattacks in the first half of 2024, recording a staggering 46.15% increase compared to 2023.
• Technology Critical Start found a 12.75% decrease (compared to the first half of 2023) in database leaks and ransomware attacks on technology companies.

“The first half of 2024 has painted a concerning picture of the ransomware threat landscape. We continue to see an increase in ransomware and database leak activity,” said Callie Guenther, Senior Manager of Cyber ​​Threat Research at Critical Start. “As attackers become more sophisticated, it is critical for organizations to have a strong security culture and strategy. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions that integrate asset inventory, endpoint control security coverage, and MITRE ATT&CK® Mitigations help organizations proactively mitigate risk, resulting in a smaller attack surface and a more resilient security infrastructure.”