This year, we’ve seen something remarkable – and not in a good way. There have already been 6 major cyberattacks of 2024 that have turned industries and business upside down, exposing millions of people’s personal information and costing billions in damages. It’s a wake-up call; a reminder that we need to think differently about cybersecurity.

This blog investigates these six attacks and what they mean for you as business owners. The bottom line is: if you’re not paying attention to this area, you’re putting everything you’ve built at risk.

6 Major Cyber Attacks in 2024

The City of Helsinki Attack: Education Gets Schooled

In May, the City of Helsinki’s education division got hit. An old, unpatched server let bad actors in, and tens of thousands of students, parents, and staff had their info exposed. The front door was essentially left wide open, so it’s no surprise that this ended the way it did.

The lesson? It’s absolutely vital to keep your IT systems updated.

Firstmac Limited Breach: Money Talks, Data Walks

Australia’s biggest non-bank lender, Firstmac Limited, got taken for a ride in May. A new group of cyber crimminals called Embargo made off with over 500 GB of data. That’s documents, source code, email addresses – the works.

Hackers are getting smarter and more organized, and we need to stay a few steps ahead, or keep up at the very least. Read our full breakdown of this attack here.

Sav-Rx Data Exposure: Your Health is Their Wealth

Sav-Rx, a company that manages prescriptions, allowed the data of nearly 3 million people to slip through their fingers. The most significant aspect of this attack is that the initial breach happened in October 2023, but Sav-Rx didn’t detect it until May 2024.

This is a harsh reminder that security is a constant and ongoing process – not just something that can be set up initially and then forgotten about.

Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack: The $22 Million Lesson

Change Healthcare got hit with ransomware, and it was bad. So bad that UnitedHealth ended up paying a $22 million ransom to the attackers. That’s not just money – that’s a message. These attacks can bring entire systems to their knees.

We need to think about security like we think about innovation. It needs to be baked into everything we do, not just an afterthought.

Microsoft Executive Accounts Breach: Even the Big Guys Can Fumble

Microsoft – yeah, that Microsoft – got hacked. Bad actors aligned with Russia got into the email accounts of top executive accounts. Why? Because they forgot to set up multi-factor authentication on an old account. This can be compared to having a high-tech alarm system but leaving a key under the doormat.

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that trip us up. Don’t overlook the basics.

Cencora Data Breach: When Pills Become Bitter

Cencora, a major player in pharmaceuticals, had a data breach that hit some of the world’s biggest drug companies. Patient data and medical info ended up out in the open. As well as a privacy nightmare, this data is a goldmine for the wrong people who sell PPI on the dark web.

This shows us that every industry is a target. If you think your business is not interesting to hackers, think again.

The Bigger Picture

Looking at these attacks, a few things become clear:

1. No one is immune. Tech giants, healthcare, education – all sectors are attractive targets for hackers.
2. Many breaches are old news by the time they’re discovered. We need to get faster at detecting them.
3. Human error is still a massive problem. Unpatched systems, weak passwords – it’s often the simple stuff that gets us.
4. The costs are astronomical. Both in terms of ransom payments and long-term damage to reputation.
5. One breach can have a domino effect, hitting supply chains, partners, and customers too.

Building Your Cyber Resilience

So, what do we do about all this? Here are some strategies to toughen up your defenses:

1. Update, always. Treat your systems like your smartphone – always keep them on the latest version.
2. Use multi-factor authentication everywhere. It’s like having a bouncer for your accounts – make the most of it.
3. Train your people. They’re your first line of defense, so make sure they know what to look out for.
4. Have a plan for when (not if) you get attacked. Practice it like a fire drill.
5. Invest in good threat detection. This is essentially your guard dog.
6. Lock down access to your systems. Not everyone needs the keys to the kingdom.

One crucial piece of the puzzle is managing who has access to what. Tools like Admin By Request can help you control privileged accounts and spot suspicious behavior before it becomes a full-blown attack.

Cybersecurity is a Business Issue

The six attacks outlined above are a call to action. In this increasingly connected world, cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue – it’s a business issue. It’s about protecting everything you’ve built, and everything you’re working towards.

To stay ahead of the curve, invest in your defenses, train your people, and most importantly, never stop innovating in how you protect your business.

At the end of the day, the only truly secure system is one that’s powered down, unplugged, locked in a safe, and buried 20 feet under the ground in a secret location… and I don’t think that’s going to work for most of us. Instead, get protected by booking a demo with Admin By Request.