Cyberattacks against government agencies are on the rise, according to new research by Surfshark.
In a recently published article, the company analyzed 924 significant cyber incidents that occurred between 2006 and Q1 2023 (including the first three months of this year). The analysis found that at least 722 cyberattacks targeted government agencies during that time.
However, prior to 2020, government agencies reported an average of 29 cyberattacks each year. Subsequently, this number increased to an annual average of 96. Almost half of the 924 significant incidents analyzed took place in the last three years. In most cases, cybercriminals started with social engineering and ended up with malware (opens in a new tab) or ransomware attacks. However, sometimes they also engaged in disinformation campaigns.
Cyber espionage
The report further suggests that cyberespionage campaigns are of particular concern. Since 2006, 15% of all attacks on government companies have been cyberespionage campaigns. Moreover, out of the 32 attacks that took place in the first quarter of this year, nine were cyber-espionage, which is almost as many as occurred in all of 2022.
Researchers say cyberespionage campaigns are almost exclusively run by state-sponsored entities, suggesting that cyberwarfare between nation-states is escalating. The latest case reported by CSIS concerns an attack by Russian hackers on the website of the French National Assembly. Moreover, in March, a Vietnamese cyberespionage group was among the many cybercriminals targeting a US federal agency.
North Korean, Chinese and Russian cybercriminals are some of the most active and highly skilled groups operating today. For example, Lazarus Group is a North Korean state-sponsored entity that is known to target cryptocurrency companies in an attempt to siphon money and fund state military and government operations.
The FBI says Lazarus was behind one of the biggest cryptocurrency heists in history, when the group hacked into the Ronin network and stole $620 million in various cryptocurrencies.