Report: 88% increase in OT vulnerabilities last year

A new report from Skybox Investigation Lab unveiled that 20,175 new vulnerabilities have been posted in 2021, the most vulnerabilities ever reported in a single yr. And these new vulnerabilities are just the suggestion of the iceberg. The whole number of vulnerabilities released over the last 10 years reached 166,938 in 2021 — a three-fold enhance over a decade. The report provides a further glimpse at how swiftly cybercriminals capitalize on new protection weaknesses –shrinking the window that businesses have to remediate vulnerabilities forward of an assault. 

Operational technological know-how (OT) vulnerabilities jumped 88%, which are used to attack vital infrastructure and expose vital systems to likely devastating breaches. OT units aid strength, water, transportation, environmental command systems and other crucial gear. Assaults on these vital assets can inflict severe financial problems and even endanger public wellness and basic safety. 

As new vulnerabilities appeared in 2021, menace actors wasted no time taking advantage of them. 168 vulnerabilities that posted in 2021 had been instantly exploited in the wild in 12 months — 24% a lot more than the number of vulnerabilities released and subsequently exploited in 2020. In other phrases, threat actors and malware builders are receiving far better at weaponizing current vulnerabilities. 

New cryptojacking programs targeting recognised vulnerabilities amplified by 75% yr over yr, together with the 42% increase in ransomware. Both of those instances illustrate how the malware industry is having far better at leveraging rising organization prospects, giving a selection of applications and products and services applied by seasoned cybercriminals and inexperienced newcomers alike. 

The report paints a vivid picture of the new fact confronting CISOs and their groups. The findings reveal not only how vulnerabilities — specifically in OT — are proliferating at an unprecedented rate, but how menace actors have gotten greater and quicker at capitalizing on them with a array of new malware and exploits. 

All of the conclusions in the report, unless otherwise famous, are based on info from Skybox Analysis Lab, the threat intelligence division of Skybox Safety.

Examine the full report by Skybox Investigation Lab.