70% more attacks

Criminals are hacking into companies

Symbol photo

(Bild: Mohamad Zaki - stock.adobe.com)

 

What tactics do criminals use in their cyber attacks? The computer experts at Barracuda Networks, one of the world's leading IT security companies based in Innsbruck, have investigated this and other questions. The number of technically sophisticated threats is increasing from year to year.

For over a year, no fewer than 69 million attacks on more than 4.5 million email inboxes were analyzed. The results show not only that the number of sophisticated threats is increasing year on year, but also how crooks are using artificial intelligence to customize their attacks, evade security measures, and target and deceive potential victims.

Weeks and months of espionage
"Attacks based on conversation hijacking have increased by 70 percent since 2022," the study states. This involves fraudsters hacking into existing business conversations or initiating new conversations based on spied information.

Compromised accounts are monitored for weeks or even months in order to spy on company processes, business activities, payment procedures and other details.

"Costly, but very lucrative"
However, criminals rarely use the hijacked accounts themselves for conversation hijacking, as the account owner would notice the fraudulent communication more easily.

"Attacks in this way are very complex, but very lucrative if successful," emphasize the experts from Barracuda Networks.