Telecommunication Companies Become The Main Target Of Cyber Attacks In 2024

Illustration of telecommunications companies (photo: Kaspersky)

JAKARTA - Kaspersky's latest report reveals that telecommunications, mass media and construction development companies are the top cyberattack targets in the first half of 2024.

From some of these sectors, the telecommunications sector faces the largest number of incidents, which may be due to attackers' interest in sensitive data and efforts to exploit trusted relations.

In the telecommunications sector, there are 284 cybersecurity incidents per 10,000 systems, according to Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response (MDR) statistics for January to June 2024.

Successful attacks, especially those of advanced nature, on telecommunications companies can expose millions of customer data, including contact details, social security numbers, and credit card information, "said Sergey Soldatov, head of Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response in a statement quoted Monday, August 5.

Telecommunications companies are also facing the highest average number of critical incidents, with 32 attacks per 10,000 systems, in which these incidents constitute human-driven attacks or malware threats that have a significant potential or actual impact on the company's infrastructure.

On the other hand, mass media companies experienced 180 attacks per 10,000 systems, while the construction, food and industrial development sectors followed with 179, 122, and 121 incidents, respectively.

"Mass media organizations, in turn, are becoming increasingly targeted targets during international conflicts, which are often characterized by information warfare where they play an important role," added Sergey.

Meanwhile, construction development companies, according to him, have significant cash flow and rely on subcontractors, making them vulnerable to attacks through trusted partner infrastructure and phishing spears.