FortiGuard Labsa Fortinet threat research and intelligence organization, warned in a report this Monday that Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups are on the rise, anticipating a diversification of objectives and tactics by cybercriminals: The growth of attacks from Denial of services and extortion evidence a new era of advanced cybercrime.
Generative AI
The use of generative AI as a digital weapon is a crucial component in the cybercrime scenario. FortiGuard Labs highlights that cybercriminals leverage AI to improve the effectiveness of their attacks, from evading detection to imitating human behavior, raising the sophistication of cybercrime.
Trends towards 2024
In recent years, ransomware attacks have exploded around the world, targeting all organizations regardless of their size or sector. In the future, it is predicted that attacks will be focused on critical sectors, such as health, finance, transportation and public services, seeking to maximize impact and profits. Furthermore, they are expected to expand their manuals, making their actions more personal, aggressive and destructive.
Infiltration
Many organizations are tightening their security controls and adopting new technologies, making it more difficult for attackers to infiltrate from external channels. Faced with this challenge, it is anticipated that cybercriminals will change their tacticsfocusing on reconnaissance and weaponry, and even recruiting from within organizations to gain initial access.
In the future, cybercriminals are expected to take advantage of geopolitical events and opportunities such as elections and the Olympic Games. With new tools, such as generative AI, at their disposal, they seek to support their activities and maximize their impact, targeting significant events.
With access to a growing range of connected technologies, cybercriminals are finding new opportunities for malicious acts. With connected devices increasing daily, attacks are expected to intensify, especially on 5G infrastructure. A successful attack could disrupt critical industries such as oil, gas, transportation, public safety, finance, and healthcare.