IBM Security has released its annualX-Force Threat Intelligence Indexthat found the Asia-Pacific region retained the top spot as the most attacked region in 2022 for the second consecutive year, accounting for 31% of all incidents remediated worldwide.
According to the 2023 report, last year the deployment of backdoors, which allow remote access to systems, emerged as the top action by attackers (31% of cases) followed by Ransomware (13% of cases). The majority of the backdoor attempts observed globally were failed ransomware attempts, where defenders were able to detect the backdoor before ransomware was deployed. The uptick in backdoor deployments can be partially attributed to their high market value. X-Force observed threat actors selling existing backdoor access for as much as $10,000, compared to stolen credit card data, which can sell for less than $10 today.
Charles Henderson, Head of IBM Security X-Force, said, “The shift towards detection and response has allowed defenders to disrupt adversaries earlier in the attack chain – tempering ransomware’s progression in the short term,” “But it’s only a matter of time before today’s backdoor problem becomes tomorrow’s ransomware crisis. Attackers always find new ways to evade detection. Good defense is no longer enough. To break free from the never-ending rat race with attackers, businesses must drive a proactive, threat-driven security strategy.”
Viswanath Ramaswamy, Vice President, Technology, IBM India & South Asia, said, “Businesses in Asia-Pacific including India will continue to face growing number and sophistication of cyber threats as bad actors take advantage of economic and geopolitical disruptions. Hence, it is imperative that business leaders take immediate action to prepare and secure against these malicious threats. This includes a holistic approach of understanding and reducing their attack surfaces, preparing for the specific threat actors and techniques that target their industry or geography, and performing regular offensive testing to detect attack paths into their environments.”
