M-Trends 2024 / Google Mandiant report

The ‎Google‏ ‎Mandiant ‎report, ‎as ‎detailed ‎in‏ ‎the ‎M-Trends‏ ‎2024,‏ ‎highlights ‎a ‎significant‏ ‎reduction ‎in‏ ‎the ‎time ‎it ‎takes‏ ‎for‏ ‎organizations ‎to‏ ‎detect ‎cyber‏ ‎intrusions, ‎marking ‎a ‎notable ‎improvement‏ ‎in‏ ‎cybersecurity ‎defenses‏ ‎globally. ‎It‏ ‎provides ‎a ‎mixed ‎but ‎cautiously‏ ‎optimistic‏ ‎view‏ ‎of ‎the‏ ‎current ‎state‏ ‎of ‎cybersecurity.

Reduction‏ ‎in‏ ‎Median ‎Dwell‏ ‎Time

The ‎global ‎median ‎dwell ‎time,‏ ‎which ‎measures‏ ‎the‏ ‎average ‎duration ‎attackers‏ ‎remain ‎undetected‏ ‎within ‎a ‎network, ‎has‏ ‎decreased‏ ‎to ‎its‏ ‎lowest ‎point‏ ‎in ‎over ‎a ‎decade. ‎In‏ ‎2023,‏ ‎this ‎figure‏ ‎was ‎recorded‏ ‎at ‎10 ‎days, ‎down ‎from‏ ‎16‏ ‎days‏ ‎in ‎2022,‏ ‎and ‎significantly‏ ‎lower ‎than‏ ‎the‏ ‎78 ‎days‏ ‎observed ‎six ‎years ‎ago

Increase ‎in‏ ‎Ransomware ‎Detection

The‏ ‎report‏ ‎attributes ‎part ‎of‏ ‎the ‎reduction‏ ‎in ‎dwell ‎time ‎to‏ ‎an‏ ‎increase ‎in‏ ‎ransomware ‎incidents,‏ ‎which ‎are ‎typically ‎easier ‎to‏ ‎detect‏ ‎due ‎to‏ ‎their ‎disruptive‏ ‎nature. ‎Ransomware-related ‎intrusions ‎accounted ‎for‏ ‎23%‏ ‎of‏ ‎the ‎total‏ ‎in ‎2023,‏ ‎up ‎from‏ ‎18%‏ ‎in ‎2022.‏ ‎These ‎incidents ‎are ‎generally ‎identified‏ ‎more ‎quickly,‏ ‎with‏ ‎ransomware ‎being ‎detected‏ ‎in ‎about‏ ‎six ‎days ‎when ‎the‏ ‎notification‏ ‎comes ‎from‏ ‎an ‎internal‏ ‎source, ‎and ‎in ‎five ‎days‏ ‎from‏ ‎external ‎notifications

Improvement‏ ‎in ‎Internal‏ ‎Detection ‎Capabilities

There ‎has ‎been ‎a‏ ‎notable‏ ‎improvement‏ ‎in ‎the‏ ‎ability ‎of‏ ‎organizations ‎to‏ ‎detect‏ ‎compromises ‎internally.‏ ‎In ‎2023, ‎46% ‎of ‎intrusions‏ ‎were ‎detected‏ ‎internally,‏ ‎up ‎from ‎37%‏ ‎in ‎2022.‏ ‎This ‎suggests ‎that ‎investments‏ ‎in‏ ‎cybersecurity ‎tools‏ ‎and ‎training‏ ‎are ‎yielding ‎positive ‎results.

Geographic ‎and‏ ‎Sectoral‏ ‎Variations

📌While ‎the‏ ‎global ‎trend‏ ‎shows ‎improvement, ‎not ‎all ‎regions‏ ‎experienced‏ ‎the‏ ‎same ‎level‏ ‎of ‎progress.‏ ‎For ‎instance,‏ ‎organizations‏ ‎in ‎the‏ ‎Asia-Pacific ‎region ‎saw ‎a ‎dramatic‏ ‎decrease ‎in‏ ‎median‏ ‎dwell ‎time ‎to‏ ‎nine ‎days,‏ ‎whereas ‎in ‎Europe, ‎the‏ ‎Middle‏ ‎East, ‎and‏ ‎Africa, ‎the‏ ‎median ‎dwell ‎time ‎slightly ‎increased

📌Financial‏ ‎services,‏ ‎business ‎and‏ ‎professional ‎services,‏ ‎high ‎technology, ‎retail ‎and ‎hospitality,‏ ‎and‏ ‎health‏ ‎sectors ‎were‏ ‎identified ‎as‏ ‎the ‎most‏ ‎targeted‏ ‎by ‎cyber‏ ‎attackers, ‎primarily ‎due ‎to ‎the‏ ‎sensitive ‎nature‏ ‎of‏ ‎the ‎data ‎they‏ ‎handle

Evolving ‎Threat‏ ‎Tactics

📌The ‎report ‎also ‎highlights‏ ‎a‏ ‎shift ‎in‏ ‎attacker ‎tactics,‏ ‎with ‎an ‎increased ‎focus ‎on‏ ‎evasion‏ ‎techniques. ‎Cyber‏ ‎attackers ‎are‏ ‎increasingly ‎targeting ‎edge ‎devices ‎and‏ ‎exploiting‏ ‎zero-day‏ ‎vulnerabilities ‎to‏ ‎maintain ‎their‏ ‎presence ‎undetected‏ ‎within‏ ‎networks ‎for‏ ‎extended ‎periods

📌Espionage ‎activities, ‎particularly ‎by‏ ‎groups ‎allegedly‏ ‎linked‏ ‎to ‎China, ‎have‏ ‎intensified, ‎with‏ ‎these ‎groups ‎focusing ‎on‏ ‎acquiring‏ ‎zero-day ‎exploits‏ ‎and ‎targeting‏ ‎platforms ‎with ‎minimal ‎security ‎measures

Challenges‏ ‎and‏ ‎Recommendations

📌Despite ‎the‏ ‎improvements, ‎the‏ ‎report ‎underscores ‎the ‎ongoing ‎challenges‏ ‎in‏ ‎cybersecurity.‏ ‎Attackers ‎are‏ ‎adapting ‎quickly,‏ ‎utilizing ‎sophisticated‏ ‎methods‏ ‎such ‎as‏ ‎«living ‎off ‎the ‎land» ‎tactics‏ ‎and ‎zero-day‏ ‎exploits

📌Mandiant‏ ‎emphasizes ‎the ‎importance‏ ‎of ‎robust‏ ‎security ‎strategies ‎that ‎include‏ ‎effective‏ ‎threat ‎hunting‏ ‎programs ‎and‏ ‎comprehensive ‎investigations ‎and ‎remediations ‎following‏ ‎breaches