In this digital age, cybersecurity is a pressing concern for businesses of all kinds. As cyberattacks become more frequent and intense each year, it becomes essential to be aware of which industries may pose the greatest risk. By exploring data on current attack trends, we can gain insights into what particular sectors are most at risk – arming organizations with the information they need to set up effective defense tactics against emerging threats in 2023 and beyond!
1. Hospitals & Healthcare Institutions
Healthcare data breaches are reaching record highs. Indeed, healthcare now sees more cyberattacks than any other industry. Fully one-third of all cyberattacks are aimed at healthcare institutions. Why? Because healthcare is a valuable and vulnerable target.
Hospitals and healthcare institutions are a prime target for cybercrime due to the vast amount of sensitive data they hold. As the digital landscape continues to grow and evolve, so too does the risk of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other malicious exploits. Hospitals contain protected health information (PHI) such as medical history, lab test results and more, all of which are extremely valuable in the wrong hands.
Hackers may exploit vulnerable software or hardware within healthcare facilities in order to gain access to PHI. They may also attempt to socially engineer unsuspecting staff members into revealing passwords or other sensitive information. In addition, many hospitals lack the necessary resources and personnel dedicated specifically to cybersecurity measures, and more often than not, their networks are not adequately protected against even basic cyber threats. This makes them especially vulnerable as attackers can often penetrate these networks relatively easily.
Given that hospitals store and process such large amounts of confidential information regularly, they often become a lucrative target for criminals looking to make quick money through ransom payments or selling stolen data on the dark web.
Additionally, hospitals are particularly vulnerable when it comes to protecting patient records, as they often rely on outdated systems with insufficient security protocols in place. The impact of a successful attack against a hospital can range from financial losses due to extortion payments or fines for failing to meet regulatory standards, reputation damage resulting from an inability to protect patients’ private information, operational disruption due to ransomware lockouts or system crashes, long-term effects from compromised patient trust levels, and more—making it essential for hospitals around the world take steps now in order prevent such catastrophes from occurring in the future.
2. Airports
Airports have increasingly become a common target for cybercrime due to their vast networks of interconnected systems, which provide access to multiple data sources and sensitive information. As airports are responsible for managing and storing passenger data, financial transactions, supply chains, and more, they are highly attractive targets for criminals looking to access confidential information or commit financial fraud. In addition, airports often store large amounts of valuable cargo such as expensive electronics or pharmaceuticals, making them appealing targets for theft.
Given the amount of sensitive data stored by airports, there is an ever-growing risk that hackers might exploit security holes or vulnerable databases to gain access to unprotected systems. For instance, airport staff may not be aware of the importance of regularly updating their systems with the latest security patches or fail to adequately encrypt confidential information. As a result, attackers could potentially carry out malicious activities such as identity theft or financial fraud without being detected. Furthermore, if system vulnerabilities are left unaddressed by airport staff, hackers may be capable of gaining access to the entire network and launch more extensive attacks such as ransomware or phishing campaigns.
Aside from exploiting system vulnerabilities and poor practices to gain unauthorized access, denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are waking up the transportation industry. Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks temporarily took down several U.S. airport websites. Denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks disrupt operations or cause financial losses by flooding airport servers with traffic requests until they cannot respond effectively anymore, hackers can prevent legitimate users from accessing important services like flight booking websites or payment portals. Such disruptions can have serious consequences on airport operations and businesses reliant on air transport services. The October outages affected 14 US airport websites including these 3 major airports, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International.
It is clear that airports have become increasingly vulnerable targets for cybercrime due to their reliance on interconnected networks that store massive amounts of sensitive data as well as valuable cargo. Unless airport staff take appropriate measures such as performing regular audits and implementing stronger security protocols across all systems involved in managing flights and passengers’ data, criminals will undoubtedly continue exploiting these weaknesses in order to carry out malicious activities against airports worldwide.
3. Financial Institutions
Financial institutions are a popular target for cyber criminals due to the highly sensitive and valuable information they hold. These organizations store large amounts of customer data, including Social Security numbers and financial records, making it attractive to those looking to commit identity theft or other types of fraud. Additionally, with their focus on compliance with increasingly complex regulations, financial institutions often have less sophisticated security measures in place than other industries. This makes them more susceptible to hacking attempts designed to steal this sensitive data or money from the institution’s accounts.
In addition to the sheer amount of sensitive data that these organizations store, they also tend to be well-funded and highly visible targets, making them an inviting challenge for hackers looking to demonstrate their skills. Furthermore, given that many financial institutions are connected in some way with each other as part of the global economy, attacking one can potentially cause a ripple effect of damage across multiple organizations. Hackers can take advantage of this interconnectedness by launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against multiple organizations simultaneously in order to cause widespread disruption.
The anonymity provided by online networks has made cybercrime even easier for criminals who may be otherwise deterred from committing physical crimes due to the increased risk associated with being caught. Using ransomware or malicious software installed on unsuspecting computers, cyber criminals can access confidential information without ever needing to be physically present at the scene of the crime. Additionally, attackers can use sophisticated phishing techniques to gain access through emails or websites disguised as legitimate business communications.
Finally, financial institutions are regularly targeted by nation states who may be motivated by political or economic interests rather than immediately tangible rewards such as money or data. State-sponsored attacks against banking systems and other infrastructure related to finance can be devastatingly effective tools used by governments in order achieve their goals without engaging in direct military action. All these reasons make financial institutions particularly vulnerable targets when it comes to cybercrime and thus require additional security measures beyond what is common practice in most other industries.
4. Energy Sector
The energy sector is an attractive target for cybercriminals because the sector has numerous critical infrastructure components that are vulnerable to cyberattacks, as well as valuable data and resources in terms of financial gain. One of the most popular energy attacks is the attack on Colonial Pipeline. In May 2021, the threat actor, DarkSide, launched a ransomware supply-chain attack that would end up becoming one of the largest in U.S. history.
Due to the increased reliance on technology in modern day power grids and national infrastructure systems, the consequence of a successful attack can be more damaging than ever before. Energy systems are often connected to the internet, which makes them vulnerable to threats such as malware and ransomware attacks. Cyber-attacks can result in loss of control over processes like production, distribution and billing. In some cases, they can even cause physical damage due to disruption of vital safety systems. Furthermore, energy companies also store valuable customer information such as bank details and contact information which can be stolen by malicious actors looking to benefit financially from such data theft.
Large scale energy companies are especially at risk due to their large networks and complex architectures that are difficult to secure effectively. Oftentimes system administrators underestimate the risks involved with managing such complex networks or lack the resources necessary for doing so properly. This opens up potential for attackers who may leverage any weak points that exist within these systems – either through exploiting known vulnerabilities or through introducing malicious software through phishing or other social engineering tactics.
Most large energy companies rely on cloud computing services which give criminals a larger surface area of attack due to its distributed nature and shared responsibility model between service providers and customers when it comes to security measures. By taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, hackers can access sensitive operational data stored on cloud systems as well as confidential customer information which can then be used for malicious purposes or financial gain.
Overall, the combination of vulnerable networks, inadequate security protocols and valuable resources make the energy sector an attractive target for cybercrime. It is thus important that organizations operating within this sector remain vigilant when it comes to their cyber security measures in order ensure their protection against any potential threats posed by malicious actors looking exploit any weaknesses within their system architecture or process controls.
5. Retail
Retailers are a prime target for cybercriminals because they have the greatest potential to make a profit.
First, retailers store vast amounts of personal and financial customer data known as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) including credit card numbers, addresses, birthdates and more. Cybercriminals often use this data to steal money or commit identity theft.
Second, retailers often have outdated or weak security systems that can be easily breached by an experienced hacker.
Third, many retailers process large amounts of payments each day, making them a lucrative target for ransomware attacks or other malicious activities that could result in massive financial losses.
Finally, because retailers typically operate multiple websites and applications across different geographies and countries, they provide an ideal opportunity for attackers to launch massive coordinated attacks against multiple targets at once.
For these reasons, retail businesses must stay highly informed about the latest developments in cybersecurity threats and take appropriate steps to protect their customers’ data against cyberattacks.
6. Government Agencies
Government agencies are a popular target for cybercriminals, as they often provide access to highly sensitive and valuable information. Government websites have become a prime target for malicious actors, as they typically provide access to personally identifiable information (PII) on citizens, government employees and contractors. Additionally, government systems store financial records, medical records and classified information. Thus, successful attacks on these systems could result in the loss of sensitive data or the disruption of vital services. Another reason why government agencies are vulnerable to cyberattacks is because of the complexity of their IT infrastructure. As governments continue to digitalize their services and operations, the risk of suffering from cyberattacks increases significantly due to the interconnectedness between different systems and components. While this enhances efficiency and productivity in many areas of government operations, it is also an attractive target for hackers who want unauthorized access to confidential information or resources. Furthermore, with so many users having access to different parts of the system, there is a potential for human error which can be exploited by criminals in order to gain access.
Governments may also be targeted by foreign state actors that seek intelligence or industrial espionage opportunities through cyberespionage activities. These attackers may use sophisticated tools and techniques such as spear phishing campaigns or exploit zero-day vulnerabilities in order to gain access to sensitive data or disrupt critical infrastructure operations. In addition, some foreign actors may even use offensive cyberattacks such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in order to disrupt specific services or cause reputational damage to political entities and organizations with whom they have disagreements with.
All in all, due to their complexity and sensitivity of the information held within them, government agencies make great targets for those wishing to perpetrate cybercrime activities. With more citizens interacting with these systems every day, it is essential that governments take action against potential cyber threats in order protect both public services as well as its citizens’ privacy rights.
Cybersecurity from PSM
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the threat of cyberattacks is only going to grow. By understanding which industries are most at risk, we can begin to strategize how best to protect them. Hospitals, airports, financial institutions, energy sector companies and retailers are all prime targets for attackers – as are government agencies. The key to protecting these industries against future attacks lies in education and awareness. Cybersecurity training should be mandatory for all employees who have access to sensitive data, and regular updates should be provided on the latest threats and defensive measures. If your business or organization is having difficulty managing your cybersecurity in-house, reach out to our IT professionals at PSM. We offer complete cybersecurity services including management and consulting to help you keep your business protected. Our experienced cybersecurity experts will audit your current cybersecurity strategy to find and address weaknesses and implement new strategies that improve the security of your IT infrastructure.
You can get in touch with PSM by calling (312) 940-7830 to learn more.