The 2019 Cyber Threat Intelligence Estimate report, conducted by Optiv Security, suggests that both state hackers and cybercriminals are increasingly impersonating each other to try to hide their tracks as part of advanced technical attacks.
The top industries targeted are retail and healthcare companies, as well as government and financial organizations. Cryptojacking and ransomware are two new additions to the list of threats, along with botnets, Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, phishing , and malware.
Optiv states that cybercriminals and state hackers are learning from each other and becoming more successful. They are also trying to imitate each other, adopting similar techniques, in an attempt to confuse security researchers.
Earlier this week, Check Point Software Technologies warned that US government agencies are vulnerable to a new collection of attack techniques, which have been linked to a Chinese government-backed hacking group. Over a seven-month period, the hackers have been constantly changing the method of their attacks, trying to hide their origin.
Check Point researchers said the hackers had gone to great lengths to create documents with useful information in formats that resemble government documents. US government agencies are particularly vulnerable to this new attack.
Crowdstrike published a report that described Chinese hackers as the most active of any country, and said they have attacked many industries: chemicals, gaming, healthcare, hospitality, construction, technology and telecommunications.
The tools and techniques developed by state hackers help cybercriminals earn hundreds of millions in cash and IP. As governments look for backdoors in security systems and their security teams develop advanced hacking tools, cybercriminals benefit more from exploiting weak security systems and using the same tools.
One example is the US National Security Agency's EternalBlue hacking tool, which is in the hands of cybercriminals and is being used in ransomware attacks on US cities and government agencies.
Government efforts to develop sophisticated attack software, which is then leaked online ,are exacerbating an already dangerous cybersecurity landscape. Government security teams do not appear to be developing defensive technologies, which means an ever-growing arsenal of advanced attack technologies that cybercriminals.
