Cyberattacks On Russian Government Agencies Up 25% In 2022 - Expert

The number of cyberattacks against Russian government institutions in 2022 increased by 25% compared to 2021, reaching 403, a Russian cybersecurity expert said Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) The number of cyberattacks against Russian government institutions in 2022 increased by 25% compared to 2021, reaching 403, a Russian cybersecurity expert said Tuesday.

"In the first quarter of 2022, the number of attacks targeting government agencies almost doubled from the last quarter of 2021, and then continued to grow throughout the year... We recorded a total of 403 attacks in 2022, a 25% increase over 2021," Artyom Sychev, CEO Advisor of the Russian cybersecurity company Positive Technologies, said at the Infoforum-2023 in Moscow.

Cybercriminals used malware in almost every second attack on government agencies, according to the expert.

Sychev noted that the most popular types of malware were encryption malware used in 56% of attacks, and remote control malware with 29%.

"We expect the number of attacks on government agencies to continue to increase," Sychev added.

Behind these attacks were both organized, highly skilled cybergroups whose goal was to steal valuable data, gain financial benefits and disrupt government systems, and politically motivated hackers, also known as hacktivists, according to the expert.�

Infoforum, Russia's main professional forum on information security, is taking place for the 25th time in Moscow from February 7-8. Over 5,000 experts from Russia and foreign countries attend Infoforum's events annually. The forum's mission is to develop interaction between state authorities, non-governmental organizations, experts and scientists for the development of a secure information society.�