geopolitics and multiplication of attacks at the 22nd Assises of Monaco
Digital piracy threats affect us all, businesses and individuals. Often with a ransom demand. How can we protect ourselves from cyberattacks that threaten our privacy?
According to all industry observers, the cybercrime is on the rise. This is also the observation of the President of the 22nd Assizes of MonacoThierry Auger, director of cybersecurity for all activities of the Lagardère group present in more than 40 countries.
In 2022, we are accelerating… the threat itself is accelerating, it is becoming more complex
Thierry Auger, President of the Assises 2022
“We are driven by information systems […] and are forced to reinvent ourselves, forced to align”. This acceleration is the direct consequence of the number of cyberattacks which is increasing sharply.
“This acceleration is also due to the fact that the threat itself is accelerating, it is becoming more complex […] it forces us to be inventive, to look for technologies that allow us to meet this challenge […] this year is busy, it forces us to question a lot of things.”
In the latest report from the global cybersecurity giantWatchGuard says the overall volume of malicious software attacks, malware, is down while so-called “encrypted” malware and active exploitation of Office vulnerabilities are up.
This could indicate that threat actors are changing tactics, relying on more elusive malware
Corey Nachreiner, Chief Security Officer of WatchGuard
More and more attackss
In 2021, more than one in two companies was attacked and this year 2022 is already a record year in this regard. The main attacks are ransomware, a threat (system paralysis, data disclosure, etc.) related to a ransom demand. It’s the digital version of racketeering.
The medical sectormainly hospitals, is one of the most exposed with on average one incident per week according to the report of ANSSI (the national information systems security agency).
Data recovery is widely used for identity theft. The latest example in France is the attack on the Corbeil-Essonnes hospital south of Paris on September 23. This hospital provides health coverage for nearly 700,000 inhabitants. He had been the victim of a first attack on August 21, with a ransom demand of 10 million dollars.
Florence Puybareau, content director of the Cybersecurity Conference, specifies that hospitals are very complex structures, between advanced technology increasingly linked to external networks and a layered administration. In the end, these are very fragile systems. Moreover, the evolution of cybercrime means that it is now possible to obtain on the darknet, the network using anonymous protocols, relatively accessible cyberattack “kits”.
The main digital threat to the general public is phishing. The modus operandi of this infection is a file in an attachment, a malicious program which “encrypts” and “codes” the documents stored in the first infected computer. According to the French government, online account hacking increased by 139% in 2021.
Geopolitics has become essential in the field of cybercrime. This is none other than the head of NATO’s Cyberdefense Section, Christian-Marc Lifländer, who is launching the opening conference of the Assizes, this Wednesday in the Principality of Monaco.
“We are facing a profound change in security, as you can see cyberspace was central during the conflict in Ukraine” he explains. Before continuing: “The cyberattacks were launched to disable Ukrainian communications. In recent months, we have also been able to see malware (malicious software) targeting the commercial and energy sectors to cripple their computer systems.
“Nowadays we cannot totally exclude the possibility of an attack on our sovereignty and territorial integrity”
Christian-Marc Lifländer, Head of NATO Cyber Defense Section
Among the main topics discussed will be the cyberworld as a geopolitical issue, the cyber risk and the epidemiological risk of Covid 19, the robot portrait of the Head of Information Systems Security in 2021, the debate on the cloud and its sovereignty.
Sign of the times, the 22nd edition is already a success: nearly 3,000 people are expected to participate in nearly 150 workshops, presentations and round tables, which are scheduled until Friday, October 14.
Presentations of the Cybersecurity Conference are available on Youtube