TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Check Point Software Technologies, a multi-national provider of IT security sources, recently released new data on 2022 cyber attack trends.
The report found that organizations in Taiwan suffered an average of 3,118 attacks per week last year, an annual increase of 10%. The industries it found to be most vulnerable to such attacks include finance and banking, manufacturing, government agencies, and military organizations.
The increase in hacking attempts was actually moderate compared to a 38% annual increase in global hacking per organization in 2022. Check Point’s latest report attributed the increase to smaller, more agile hacker groups that use collaborative tools in home environments to carry out attacks.
Check Point found that the education sector was particularly prone to cyber attacks as many undertook digitization and remote learning due to the COVID pandemic. This led the education/research sector to be the most attacked globally, with a 43% increase in 2022 compared to 2021.
Healthcare institutions were also targeted by cyber criminals as more medical information and insurance data are stored online. In some instances, private information like social security numbers, date of birth, and other vital information can be exposed, leading many ransomware gangs to target hospitals and healthcare providers.
As for the future outlook for cyber security, Check Point points to a bleak, pessimistic future. It said the rise of AI technology could give hackers the potential to automate malicious code and emails at a faster rate.
To counter these growing challenges, Check Point recommends organizations implement measures such as information security training courses, real-time installation of computer patches, and anti-ransomware technology to minimize the possibility of being attacked or data leakage.
According to Check Point's research, global cyber attack volume in the fourth quarter of 2022 reached a record high, with organizations experiencing an average of 1,168 attacks per week.
Broken down by region, Africa suffered the most attacks last year, with organizations suffering an average of 1,875 attacks per week. This was followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 1,691 attacks.
Compared with 2021, the three regions with the largest increase in cyber attacks in 2022 are North America (annual increase of 52%), Latin America (annual increase of 29%) and Europe (annual increase of 26%).