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nformation technology, and education and research are the leading sectors most prone to cyberattacks this year, a report says.

The 2024 Digital Defence Report from Microsoft highlights an alarming rise in attacks across the globe.
The number of global cyberattacks has doubled to 600 million per day, indicating growing collaboration between nation-state actors and cybercriminals.

Data breaches have also been rampant, with TechCrunch reporting over one billion stolen records in 2024 alone.

The breaches have not only compromised personal information but also emboldened criminals who profit from cyberattacks. “In 2024, education and research became the second most targeted sector by nation-state threat actors,” the report says.

“In addition to offering intelligence such as research and policy discussions, education and research institutions are often used as testing grounds by threat actors before they pursue their actual targets.”

Vulnerable sectors
Other sectors most prone to attacks include think tanks and NGOs, transportation, consumer retail, finance, manufacturing, and communications.

In Africa, the Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2024 from Interpol highlighted the rapid growth of cybercrime, with estimates showing a 23 percent year-on-year increase in the average number of weekly cyberattacks per organisation in Africa that in 2023, the highest average in the world.

Recent cyberthreats have markedly increased in sophistication and frequency, posing significant challenges to cybersecurity defenses worldwide. A notable trend is the surge in mobile, internet of things, and operational technology cyberattacks, underscoring the expanding threat landscape beyond traditional computing environments.

“The cyberthreat landscape has continued to become more dangerous and complex,” the Digital Defence Report says.

“The malign actors of the world are becoming better resourced and better prepared, with increasingly sophisticated tactics, techniques, and tools that challenge even the world’s best cybersecurity defenders.