Cyberattacks threaten the stability and security provided by governments. Robust cybersecurity is essential to protect sensitive data and ensure the smooth operation of critical services on which the public depends, from national defense to infrastructure. Breaches can undermine public trust, disrupt daily life, and even endanger lives in the case of attacks on critical infrastructure.
“The public sector continues to be a hot spot for highly motivated criminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored organizations,” said Cory Daniels, global chief information security officer at Trustwave.
“Breaches in the public sector go beyond financial losses and can be highly coordinated, malicious, multi-pronged digital and physical attacks. We have observed successful attempts to disrupt critical systems and services while disrupting direction, including telecommunications, healthcare, trademark and patent systems, transportation, and national identity information ( PII) data, law enforcement, and national security. A successful attack can shake the very foundations of society, erode trust in government, and create a climate of fear. sex.”
Trustwave SpiderLabs' latest research delves into the attack flows used by threat groups and reveals their tactics, techniques, and procedures. The public sector is struggling with legacy systems, prioritizing public services over security, fragmented IT infrastructure, vast amounts of sensitive data, siled information, limited budget resources, complex regulations, and international They face unique cybersecurity challenges due to a combination of factors, including being a regulatory target. actors.
“Of particular concern is how geopolitical motives are negatively impacting the digital realm to conduct espionage using deepfakes, social media manipulation, and election interference,” said Cory Daniels.
“As citizens, we entrust vast amounts of personal information to our governments, so public-private partnerships are critical to protecting individuals, businesses, and the government itself.”
The Trustwave SpiderLabs report analyzes threat groups and their methods throughout the attack cycle, from initial foothold to exfiltration. To ensure comprehensiveness, this report examines the cybersecurity challenges facing the public sector around the world, including government agencies and critical public services.
Key findings from the report include:
- Phishing is a major threat in the public sector, accounting for a staggering 80% of initial accesses by attackers.
- 43% of ransomware attacks in the public sector were carried out by LockBit 3.0, with Medusa and Play accounting for 13% and 12%, respectively.
- Local governments are the public sector most vulnerable to ransomware attacks, accounting for 60% of incidents.
To access the full Trustwave SpiderLabs threat report, click2024 Public Sector Threat Landscape: Trustwave Threat Intelligence Explained and Mitigation Strategies.” Please click here.
About Trustwave
Trustwave is a globally recognized cybersecurity leader that reduces cyber risk and strengthens organizations against destructive and harmful cyber threats.
Trustwave's comprehensive offensive and defensive cybersecurity portfolio detects what others can't and helps us respond faster and more effectively, optimizing our clients' cyber investments and improving security resiliency. Trustwave, trusted by thousands of organizations around the world, leverages a world-class team of security consultants, threat hunters, and researchers and a market-leading security operations platform to reduce the likelihood of attacks. Minimize potential impact.
Trustwave is an analyst-recognized leader in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Managed Security Services (MSS), Cyber Advisory, Penetration Testing, Database Security, and Email Security. Trustwave SpiderLabs' elite team provides industry-defining threat research, intelligence, and threat hunting, all built into Trustwave's services and products, to strengthen cyber resilience in an era of inevitable cyberattacks. To do.
For more information about Trustwave, please visit https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/.
