Telecoms, media and construction companies have been the main targets of cyberattacks in the first half of 2024, according to data from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. In fact, telecoms companies suffered the highest number of incidents, likely due to attackers’ interest in exploiting sensitive data and trust relationships. Meanwhile, media companies are traditionally targeted during international conflicts, while construction development companies can also be attractive due to their large number of subcontractors.
As specified by the company, in the telco sector there were 284 cybersecurity incidents per 10,000 systems, while media companies experienced 180 attacks per 10,000 systems. The construction, food and industrial development sectors followed with 179, 122 and 121 incidents, respectively.
Telecom companies faced the highest average number of critical incidents, with 32 attacks per 10,000 systems.
As Sergey Soldatov, Head of Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response, explains, “A successful attack, especially an advanced one, on a telecommunications company can expose millions of customer data, including contact details, social security numbers and credit card information. It can also serve as a potential springboard for further attacks on customers by exploiting trusted relationships. This is why this sector is so attractive to cybercriminals. In turn, media companies become an increasingly frequent target during international conflicts, which are often characterised by an information war in which they play a crucial role. Last but not least, construction development organisations have significant cash flows and are dependent on subcontractors, making them vulnerable to attacks via Trusted Partner infrastructures and spear phishing.”
Telecom companies also faced the highest average number of critical incidents, with 32 attacks per 10,000 systems. “Critical incidents are man-made attacks or malware threats that have a significant potential or actual impact on the company’s infrastructure,” explains Sergey Soldatov. The IT industry follows with almost 12 critical incidents on average, while the government sector experienced eight serious incidents on average in the first half of 2024.
Globally, the number of cyberattacks has remained relatively stable, with a slight decline. Organizations have made efforts to strengthen their cybersecurity measures following the spike in attacks in 2021-2022. Improved methods such as vulnerability assessments and penetration testing have improved overall security. “Cyberattacks often reflect global conflicts, especially man-made ones. The heightened threat landscape of 2021-2022 led to increased attention to cybersecurity in businesses and entities across a variety of sectors, resulting in higher security levels as organizations learned from past experiences,” concludes the head of Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response.
