According to data analysed by Atlas VPN, Ukraine was a victim of 29 state-sponsored attacks in 2022. Behind most of the government-backed attacks stand China and Russia, with 44 and 38 cyberattacks, respectively.
The United States suffered 14 state-sponsored cyberattacks. Most of these attacks came from Iran or China-backed hackers who launched phishing and malware campaigns against US companies or government entities.
State-backed hackers launched 7 attacks on Russia in 2022. The majority of them were by the Ukrainian IT army in response to Kremlin’s started war on Ukraine.
South Korea was a victim of 6 government-backed cyberattacks. North Korean cybercriminals were behind most of the threats. In addition, they were responsible for all 5 attacks on cryptocurrency companies.
Finally, all other state-sponsored threats on countries not mentioned here made up 76 total cyberattacks.
“The rise of state-sponsored cyberattacks poses a significant threat to the stability of our interconnected world,” stated Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN, Vilius Kardelis.
“Governments must collaborate to establish clear rules of engagement in cyberspace to prevent the expansion of malicious cyber activities that undermine trust and confidence in the digital infrastructure.”
Out of all government-backed attacks in 2022, 110 were launched to spy on another country or organisation. Financial theft was the reason behind 11 threats, while cybercriminals destroyed sensitive information in 8 cyberattacks.
According to Atlas VPN, governments were the primary targets of state-backed hackers, as they launched 75 attacks on such entities. Businesses faced 55 nation-sponsored cyberattacks. Cybercriminals hacked journalists, human rights activists, or other citizens 48 times. Lastly, military objects suffered 8 state-sponsored cyberattacks.
