Cyberattacks increased 20 per cent in Canada last year: IT security company

In this June 19, 2018, file photo, a router and internet switch are displayed in East Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Recent data published by Check Point Software, an IT security company, indicates that global cyberattacks increased by 38 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year, with North America seeing 52 per cent rise.

Canada, however, apparently only saw a 20 per cent increase in cyberattacks, according to a company news release.

According to the report, these cyberattack figures were driven by smaller and agile hacker and ransomware gangs who focused on exploiting collaboration tools used in work-from-home environments.

It found that, globally, education/research, government/military and health care were the top three most targeted industries in 2022.

Education/research experienced an average of 2,314 attacks per organization every week, an increase of 43 per cent from the previous year. Government/military organizations were attacked an average of 1,661 times weekly, an increase of 46 per cent. Health care organizations endured an average of 1,463 attacks weekly, an increase of 74 per cent.

The report also warns that cyberattack activity may increase with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, which could potentially make it possible for hackers to generate malicious code and emails at a faster, more automated pace. ChatGPT is an AI app designed to mimic human-like speech.

WHAT CAN YOU TO DO TO PREVENT CYBERATTACKS?

To minimize the risk of cyberattacks the report suggests:

- Do not click on malicious links

- Never open unexpected or untrusted attachments

- Avoid revealing personal or sensitive data to phishers

- Verify software legitimacy before downloading it

- Never plug an unknown USB device into your computer

- Use a VPN when connecting via untrusted or public Wi-Fi

- Keep computers and servers up to date with the latest security patches, especially those labeled as critical

- Keep your software updated, as some older versions may have vulnerabilities

Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.