It seems like every minute a new cyberattack is launched. Cybersecurity is becoming more difficult, as shown by a recent research from BlackBerry that details the staggering frequency with which assaults are launched.

Over 1.76 million malware-based assaults were prevented by BlackBerry’s AI-driven preventive technology between September and November 2022, or an average of 62 every hour (or more than one per minute).

Automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and the financial industries were all identified as potential targets. The rapid shift in attack methods was also noted, prompting the report to switch from an annual to a quarterly reporting schedule.

Consequences of 2023 Cyber Attacks

BlackBerry’s vice president of threat research and intelligence, Ismael Valenzuela, said, “Annual threat reports have been a fantastic way to provide insight into overall trends, but now more than ever, organisations need to make well-informed decisions and take prompt effective actions, using the latest actionable data.”

During that time, BlackBerry focused on one specific area as being particularly hard hit. In roughly a million cases, the United States was the target. Only a small number of African countries were apparently afflicted, after Japan and Brazil. The United Kingdom was not in the top ten.

The most often targeted operating system is still Microsoft, as was shown by BlackBerry’s research into the most vulnerable platforms. Possible explanation: It’s still a very popular operating system, used by around 75 percent of desktop computers, according to Statcounter.

Even though MacOS only accounts for around 15% of the desktop OS market, BlackBerry has seen an increase in assaults because of its rising use among enterprises due to its image as being safer. The study also highlights the fact that the Apple-owned operating system is not without its own security flaws.

It’s becoming more obvious that everyone who uses a computer or other Internet-connected device, including organisations and people, ought to pay careful attention to cybersecurity.