The head of the FAC.CT Cyber Security Center warned that ransomware remains the top threat facing businesses this year. Yaroslav Kargalev emphasized that last year saw an unprecedented surge in cyberattacks, with a 160% increase noted by industry experts after speaking with RT.
According to Kargalev, by the end of 2023 the activity of cyber spies, saboteurs, and hacktivists rose by 116%, and data breaches persisted with 246 exposed databases. He pointed out that the most common attack vector for companies continues to be phishing emails that carry malware. Last year, many of these messages masqueraded as fake tender results, fraudulent subpoenas, or communications from inspectors.
Cybercriminals also frequently rely on phishing emails containing malware from the so‑called extended thieves family, malware created to capture login credentials and other sensitive data.
“We are witnessing a broad expansion of these theft-focused families,” the expert noted, adding that shadow онлайн resources now host a large marketplace for selling or renting these malicious programs.
Kargalev further explained that attackers often deploy special skimmers in their mail campaigns that target specific victim profiles. There are also tools designed to extract data from mobile operating systems, making mobile platforms another common target.
Looking ahead to 2024, the expert warned of a rise in the number of malware families crafted for Linux and macOS, underscoring the need for cross‑platform security vigilance.
As a broader context, estimates show that Russia plans to allocate more than 25 billion rubles by 2030 to bolster state cybersecurity systems. For readers seeking practical precautions against hacker activity, further material on defensive measures is available in reports from socialbites.ca.
In related discussions, former cybersecurity specialists reviewed initiatives aimed at publishing information about SIM cards within civil service networks, highlighting ongoing debates about privacy, security monitoring, and threat intelligence sharing.