Deployment of backdoors was the number one action on objective taken by threat actors last year, according to the 2023 IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index — a comprehensive analysis of our research data collected throughout the year. Backdoor access is now among the hottest commodities on the dark web and can sell for thousands of dollars, compared to credit card data — which can go for as low as $10.
On the dark web — a veritable eBay for cybercriminals — threat actors can hold onto ill-gotten backdoor access (unbeknownst to victims) until the price is right, and then sell it to the highest bidder.
Backdoor access even outpaced ransomware in 2022, which was seen in 17% of the cases X-Force examined. But about 67% of those backdoors were failed ransomware attempts, where defenders disrupted the backdoor before ransomware was deployed.
Top Attack Impact: Extortion
An IBM Security X-Force study revealed a substantial 94% reduction in the average duration of ransomware attacks from 2019 to 2021, from over two months to just under four days.
While incidents involving ransomware declined from 21% in 2021 to 17% in 2022, it remains a clear and present danger that shows signs only of expanding, not slowing down.
Extortion is getting personal, and ransomware is just the tip of the arrow. When you think of extortion you usually think of ransomware — but extortion campaigns go far beyond ransomware today and include a variety of methods to apply pressure, including business email compromise and DDoS threats.
Cybercriminals are incorporating increasingly intense psychological pressure in their attacks, as well. Some of the latest ext ..
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