Black Kite released its annual Third-Party Breach Report, which examines the impact of third-party cyber breaches in 2021. Ransomware was the most common attack behind third-party breaches in 2021, initiating more than one out of four analyzed incidents.
Despite immense cybersecurity improvements following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry was the most common victim of attacks caused by third parties, accounting for 33% of incidents last year. With its rich and diverse personally-identifiable information (PII) data, the government sector accounted for 14% of third-party attacks in 2021.
Attackers were able to infiltrate networks and steal data through a variety of methods, including exploiting weak passwords and access controls to gain unauthorized network access. Insecure external facing servers and databases also provided easy access to valuable data. Overall, 1.5 billion users’ personally-identifiable information (PII) was leaked as a result of third-party breaches in 2021.
Software publishers ranked as the most at-risk vendor for a third consecutive year. Exploitations of software vulnerabilities have led to some of the most notable attacks over the last few years, including the 2020 Solar Winds attack.
“Threat actors have become more agile over the years, particularly with increased ransomware attacks revealing a sense of heightened agility and skill,” said Bob Maley, Chief Security Officer at Black Kite. “This is not just a change from 2021, but an overall message. Attack methods are becoming more clever more detailed, with flexibility and dexterity. If agile attack methods are improving, our response must match, if not counter their growth.”
To download the 2022 Third-Party Breach Report, visit https://blackkite.com/whitepaper/2022-third-party-breach-report/
Source: https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/96969-ransomware-accounted-for-27-of-third-party-attacks-in-2021
