ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, has just published its annual report concerning cyber threats in 2020 and a general overview of the threat landscape. This year, the Covid-19 crisis played a huge part in the evolution of cybersecurity.
What are the main cyber threats of 2020 and how to counter them?
ENISA’s Top 15 Cyberthreats Of 2020
According to Juhan Lepassaar, ENISA‘s Executive Director, ‘cyber threats are evolving and becoming more and more complex.’
Top Cyber Threats of 2020:
- 15 – Cryptojacking
- 14 – Cyberespionage
- 13 – Ransomware
- 12 – Information leakage
- 11 – Physical manipulation, damage, theft, and loss
- 10 – Botnets
- 9 – Insider threat
- 8 – Data breach
- 7 – Identify theft
- 6 – DDoS
- 5 – Spams
- 4 – Web application attacks
- 3 – Phishing
- 2 – Web-based attacks
- 1 -Malware
Malware, that is to say, the installation of malevolent software by an unknowing user is the first cyber threat in 2020. It is estimated that about 71% of companies have been the victim of malevolent software that then spread among employees.Among the list, web-based attacks are almost as important as malware. Phishing, web application attacks, and spams are also a threat to be reckoned with.
What Are The Impacts On The Covid-19 Crisis On Cybersecurity?
The current pandemic has vastly transformed the digital environment, both in Europe and worldwide, with the generalisation of remote work during the quarantine. Cybersecurity experts had to adapt the already existing defense mechanisms to new habits and to the fact that employees were now using their software and computers at home.
Companies had to reinforce their cybersecurity process based on less reliable tools used by employees at home, such as cloud services, streaming video services, and mobile apps.
Online purchases also increased during the quarantine and were especially targeted by cyber threats. The number of fake websites increased and led to more Internet scams. ENISA explains that the coronavirus revealed the weaknesses of the online purchase process.
A lot of hackers used Coronavirus to get the users’ attention, especially via phishing. Those attacks rely on emails related to the coronavirus that contain infected links. ENISA advises to the European Union’s states to put in place new politics concerning cybersecurity by collaborating with experts. By the end of 2020, a new cybersecurity strategy should be voted.
