The increasing reliance on digital technology worldwide has exacerbated the cybersecurity crisis, with a significant rise in cyberattacks last year, registering 343 million victims. Data breaches also increased by 72% between 2021 and 2023, according to a report published by Forbes.
Cyberattacks target entities of various sizes and sectors, in addition to individuals, businesses, and even governments. The average cost of a data breach this year was $4.88 million.
Brazil Leads the Cyberattack Scene
Brazil is the second most targeted country in the world for cyberattacks, according to a 2023 report by cybersecurity company Trend Micro, with only the United States surpassing Brazil in terms of blocked threats in the first half of the same year.
The report also stated that approximately 85.6 billion cyber threats were blocked in mid-2023, representing 59% of the total threats recorded in 2022. The data showed that malicious software was the primary attack vector, with 45.9 billion attacks recorded in the first half of the year, accounting for 53.6% of total blocks.
Brazil witnessed over 1,500 malware infection attempts per minute, according to a report from Kaspersky. Although there was a slight decrease in malware attacks in Latin America between June 2022 and June 2023, Brazil remains at the forefront of targeted countries.
Reasons for Brazil’s Cyberattack Targeting
The targeting of Brazil is due to several factors, including the country’s size and the increasing spread of the internet. According to a recent study, Brazil is the ninth-largest economy in the world and has 249 million smartphones, meaning the number of devices exceeds the population. Brazil has also seen significant growth in internet usage among households, with usage rising from 79.2% in 2016 to 81.2% in 2023.
Additionally, Brazil is home to many multinational companies and an advanced financial system. Reports suggest that hacking in the country is one of the main causes of the current cybersecurity crisis, along with the growing use of modern technologies.
Escalating Complex Cyberattacks
2023 saw a notable rise in complex cyberattacks, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which have become more frequent, prolonged, and sophisticated. According to a report from Akamai, these attacks increased by 50% compared to 2021.
The largest attack in Latin America in the first half of 2023 occurred in Brazil, with the attack’s capacity exceeding 900 megabytes. It was also observed that attackers have become more advanced, shifting from mass attacks to targeted attacks using advanced techniques such as social engineering.
The Importance of Cybersecurity Training
Major companies have realized that cybersecurity training is no longer an option but a necessity, as it helps reduce the risks of attacks by training employees to recognize threats and respond quickly and effectively. Experts have emphasized that breaches are often linked to disorganized operations and untrained staff, making it crucial to train IT and security teams.
Ongoing Threats and Future Developments
Cybersecurity threats in Brazil continue to rise, along with the evolving tactics of attackers. It is expected that companies will continue to develop their strategies to keep up with these threats by updating their infrastructure and enhancing security levels in an effort to address future challenges in this field.
