FortiGuard Labs’ new threat report shows alarming trends in cybercrime

New research indicates that cybercriminals are building an investment strategy around new weaponized techniques that can penetrate IT systems at the same level of sophistication as nation-state actors and APT groups, according to FortiGuard Labs executive Derek Manky.

In an exclusive CyberScoop interview, Manky, the chief security strategist and vice president of Global Threat Intelligence for Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs, discusses the findings from the latest Global Threat Landscape report released on Aug. 16, 2022.

The data reflects “a myriad of new techniques being added” with cybercriminals creating more techniques and “concentrated efforts and activity,” said Manky.

Another surprising finding was the number of destructive malware and more targeted ransomware attacks that are occurring, he added. This means that organizations need to urgently prioritize patching strategies to mitigate threats against their data.

The Global Threat Landscape Report represents the collective intelligence of FortiGuard Labs, drawn from Fortinet’s vast array of sensors collecting billions of threat events observed around the world during the first half of 2022.

Similar to how the MITRE ATT&CK framework classifies adversary tactics and techniques, with the first three groupings spanning reconnaissance, resource development and initial access, the FortiGuard Labs Global Threat Landscape Report leverages this model to describe how threat actors target vulnerabilities, build malicious infrastructure, and exploit their targets.

Watch the full discussion with Derek Manky and read the full report here.

This video interview was produced by Scoop News Group and CyberScoop and underwritten by Fortinet.