United States Reported Less Data Breaches in 2020 but with much more Expensive Successful Hacker Attacks
According to the annual report of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), 1,108 cyber incidents were reported in 2020 and the number casualties from these incidents was close to 301 million people, a drop of 66% over the previous year.
The social engineering technique of impersonation also helped attackers reap massive profits:
The volume of business fraud and hacking by corporate e-mail systems (BECs) reported to the FBI in 2020 was US$ 1.8 Billion – a figure that reflects half of all cyber damage in monetary terms.
“The trend away from mass data breaches and toward more precise and sophisticated cyberattacks doesn’t mean businesses can relax. Just the opposite. They need to learn whole new ways of protecting their data.”
– James E. Lee, ITRC COO
Read more about Examples and Numbers of Social Engineering Hacker Attacks ›
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Professional Services Firms Are Facing a Cyber Threat Surge
🔐 Cyber Attacks Targeting Firms Skyrocket
🚨 Professional services firms are now prime targets for sophisticated cybercrime.
🕵️♂️ Attackers exploit human trust, impersonate vendors, and manipulate helpdesks to steal sensitive client data.
💰 Double extortion is skyrocketing – attackers steal data first, then demand multi-million-dollar ransoms. Mid-sized firms are most vulnerable.
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Low-Cost Honeypots That Catch Attackers Before They Hurt You
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🐝 Honeypots are decoys that legitimate users never touch – when they trigger, you know an attacker is inside your sightline.
🔍 Simple decoys like fake admin accounts, bogus API keys, or dummy repos produce high-fidelity alerts without the false-positive noise of costly SIEM setups.
⚠️ In one real case, planted OAuth tokens exposed a contractor trying to exfiltrate sensitive data in days – setup cost: a few hours.
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🛡️ They are not a cure-all – pair them with social engineering simulations, least-privilege policies, and continuous monitoring to close the human gaps attackers exploit.
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Storm-2657 Payroll Pirate Attacks Expose University HR Risks
🚨 Storm-2657 Payroll Pirates Target Universities
Microsoft warns of attacks hijacking employee accounts to steal salaries.
💡 HR SaaS platforms like Workday are being exploited with phishing and MFA bypass.
👥 Attackers use AiTM phishing links, enroll their own MFA devices, and hide email notifications to reroute payroll.
⚡ 11 accounts compromised across three universities sent phishing emails to nearly 6,000 targets.
✅ Adopt phishing-resistant MFA like FIDO2 keys.
✅ Review accounts for unknown MFA devices and malicious inbox rules.
✅ Educate staff to recognize phishing tactics.
AUMINT.io helps organizations detect hidden gaps through simulations and continuous monitoring – Book your session now
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