INTRODUCTION

Technology has continued its rapid and transformative march in the first half of 2023, revolutionizing various aspects of our lives. The proliferation of 5G networks has laid the groundwork for unprecedented connectivity and communication speeds, making it possible for smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT) to flourish. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become deeply engrained into daily existence, enhancing everything from virtual assistants and automated vehicles to personalized healthcare and predictive analytics. Quantum computing has taken significant strides, promising breakthroughs in solving complex problems that were once deemed insurmountable and augmented and virtual reality have become more immersive and mainstream, enhancing entertainment, education, and industrial applications.

However, amidst these marvels, concerns about data privacy, cybersecurity, and ethical implications have also escalated, underscoring the need for responsible innovation. Criminal activities have continued to escalate in the first half of the year, with an 8% surge in global weekly cyberattacks in the second quarter marking the highest volume in two years. Familiar threats such as ransomware and hacktivism have evolved further with criminal gangs modifying their methods and tools to infect and affect organizations worldwide. Even legacy technology such as USB storage devices, which have long been gathering dust in desk drawers, have gained popularity as a malware messenger.

It is not just the known quantities keeping CISOs up at night. New tools such as Generative AI, which hold so much promise for good, have been manipulated by the bad guys to create code and phishing emails that can deceive even the trained eye.

Despite these challenges, there have been moments of glory for the cyber defenders. The takedown of the prominent Hive ransomware group, which prevented potential ransom payments of $130 million, was just one of the notable successes against cybercriminals in the first half of this year and governments across the globe are discussing and implementing more stringent regulations and penalties that will support the drive for stronger protections for organizations.

This report analyzes the threat landscape in the first six months of 2023, using examples of these real-world events, attack statistics and more, to help you understand the major threats of today and how to stop them from causing disruption and damage within your organization. We hope it helps raise awareness of those threats, and in turn helps to stop your organization becoming the next victim.