During the final quarter of 2022, cybercrime activity aimed at IT companies rose noticeably, reflecting a broader shift in threat landscapes. Industry observers reported an approximate 18 percent increase in incidents compared with the preceding quarter. The rise underscores how attackers adapt to the digital economy, targeting organizations that provide essential tech services and, by extension, their customers who rely on those services daily.
Malware remained the predominant tool in these breaches, with roughly six out of ten attackers leveraging data-stealing ransomware and related malicious software. This pattern highlights a distinct attacker advantage: when a corporate network is compromised, the attack often cascades, enabling access to protected customer information and valuable business data. Security researchers emphasize that these attacks can indirectly harm a company’s user base, making every breach a potential threat to the wider ecosystem of products and services connected to the IT vendor.
Looking at quarterly trends, the total volume of cyber incidents in the last quarter of 2022 did retreat by about 5 percent from the previous quarter. Despite this dip, the level remained elevated, with total activity finishing the year at a rate roughly 15 percent higher than the same period in the prior year. This sustained high level of risk signals persistent adversary interest in exploiting IT infrastructure, cloud environments, and software supply chains, even as defenses tighten in other areas.
Beyond the IT sector, a notable incident involved the disruption of a high-profile government portal. The case illustrates how varied threat actors, including those linked to state-backed groups, have the capability to conduct large-scale denial-of-service operations. The episode serves as a reminder that national and international digital infrastructure can be affected by coordinated campaigns, extending risk beyond private enterprises to public institutions and the broader user community.
For organizations operating in North America, including Canada and the United States, the strategic takeaway centers on fortifying incident response plans, improving network segmentation, and accelerating threat-hunting capabilities. Experts recommend ongoing user education, rapid patch management, and the adoption of zero-trust principles to minimize lateral movement after an initial compromise. In practice, this means implementing robust backup strategies, continuous monitoring, and clear escalation paths so that defenders can contain incidents before they escalate into widespread disruptions.
From a consumer protection perspective, the focus is on data minimization, encryption, and strong access controls. When attackers do succeed in breaching systems, resilient recovery processes and transparent, timely communications with affected users can help preserve trust and reduce downstream harm. The evolving threat environment in late 2022 makes it clear that cybersecurity is not solely a technical concern; it is a fundamental component of service reliability, customer confidence, and the long-term value of technology providers.