In its tenth Threat Intelligence Report, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) reveals that cyberattacks on telecom infrastructure are accelerating. Cybercriminals are increasingly harnessing Generative AI and automation to increase the speed, volume, and sophistication of their attacks.
Among the Report’s key findings are:
- the number and frequency of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have grown from one or two a day to well over 100 per day in many networks;
- botnets, which are networks of computers and devices controlled and used by cybercriminals for launching malicious activities, are the primary source of DDoS attack volume, representing about 60 percent of DDoS traffic;
- North America accounts for about one-third of the total number of cyberattacks due to the concentration and scale of telecom infrastructure and large enterprises in the U.S.
The growth in DDoS attacks has been fueled by the proliferation of hundreds of thousands of insecure IoT devices, ranging from smart refrigerators to smartwatches, which often have lax security protections yet have gigabit broadband capacity that facilitates the spread of malware.
In addition, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting system-on-chips, hardware-integrated circuits that incorporate hardware and software computer components, to exploit vulnerabilities. Quantum computing is another example where new threats are emerging.
Even though GenAI enables faster, more sophisticated attacks, communication service providers are increasingly using the same technology to improve their response times and effectiveness against cyberthreats.
Rodrigo Brito, Nokia Head of Security, Cloud and Network Services comments, “The use of [GenAI] and automation for nefarious purposes is leading to a stepwise increase in malicious actors’ capabilities and threat potential.” He added that the findings further reinforce the need for operators, vendors, and regulators to work more collaboratively to develop more robust network security measures, practices, and awareness.
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