BlackBerry Limited has released its latest Global Threat Intelligence Report, which covers the September to December 2023 period. The report highlights a 27% increase in novel malware being prevented by BlackBerry’s AI-powered cybersecurity solutions.
Novel malware typically indicates specific motivations from threat actors towards particular attack targets with intent to evade defences, which are often based on static signatures. We’ve reached a pivotal point where traditional detection methods alone are not enough to combat this increasingly complex problem. AI is already being weaponised by malicious entities, so it must equally be the dominant tool for detection and defence.
Ismael Valenzuela, Vice President of Threat Research and Intelligence at BlackBerry
Other highlights from the Global Threat Intelligence Report include:
- 62% of industry-related attacks targeted critical industries: digitization and the prospect of debilitating national infrastructure attracted notorious gangs and malware-as-a-service (MaaS) groups who attempt to exploit security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities for varying motives.
- Commercial enterprises are also under attack: 33% of all threats targeted commercial enterprises (including retail, manufacturing, automotive, and professional services), with the majority (53%) of those deploying information-stealing (Infostealer) malware with the aim of accessing highly sensitive data.
- Rapid weaponization of CVEs by threat actors: ransomware gangs were observed taking advantage of new zero day vulnerabilities and mass mobilizing against potentially vulnerable targets, with zero-day exploits motivating profiteer groups.
Based on its data analysis, the BlackBerry Threat Intelligence and Research team predicts that 2024 will bring an increase in attacks targeting critical infrastructure and other profitable segments. VPN appliances will likely remain desirable targets for nation-state-level threat actors and it is anticipated that there will be a continued increase in supply chain cyber attacks targeting hardware and software vulnerabilities.
