Originator of K-pop, SEOTAIJI’s official concert will be live-streamed on Twitter for the first time

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Media OutReach – 18 March 2021 – For the first time, Twitter will livestream a performance by legendary K-pop artist ‘SEOTAIJI’ globally, enabling fans across the world to enjoy his “Quiet Night” concert. Fans can tune in via @SEO_TAIJI at 7 am PST, 10 am EST, 11 pm KST on Thursday, March 18, to enjoy SEOTAIJI’s music no matter where they are.

SEOTAIJI is widely regarded as the most prominent and influential artist and cultural icon in South Korea, since his rise to prominence as leader of the group ‘Seo Taiji and Boys’ in 1992. Throughout his career from group to subsequent solo, SEOTAIJI’s music and artistry, which included elements of hip-hop, dance, rock, metal and Korean Traditional music (Gukak) were instrumental in influencing the sound of Korean popular music, and helped lead to the formation of the K-pop genre as it is known today. Current K-pop favorites like BTS (@BTS_twt) recognize SEOTAIJI’s influence on K-pop; BTS has paid homage to SEOTAIJI by covering his song, “Come Back Home (1995),” and also performed at SEOTAIJI’s 25th Anniversary concert, where SEOTAIJI passed them the torch as a globally-renowned K-pop artist.

(Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/SEO_TAIJI/status/1371479703584862210)

YeonJeong Kim, Head of Global K-pop Partnerships at Twitter, said, “#KpopTwitter has everything fans want to know about their favorite current K-pop artists, but also understands the history of K-pop and how past and present artists influence where K-pop is today. SEOTAIJI is the originator of K-pop music scenes, and artists across K-pop appreciate his contributions to culture – and we want to help fans understand as well. Moving forward, we’re excited to continue partnering with SEOTAIJI to drive conversations about the deep history behind the genre of K-pop.”

SEOTAIJI company said, “It’s really thankful to meet music fans via the concert’s global live-streaming on Twitter. We hope SEOTAIJI’s music could comfort music fans all over the world who are tired of COVID-19.”

(Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/SEO_TAIJI/status/1371641354426585092)

Fans of SEOTAIJI can share their excitement for the concert with a special emoji to celebrate the occasion. Through June 13, SEOTAIJI fans can access the emoji using the following Hashtags:

● #SEOTAIJI

● #서태지

● #StayHomeWithTaiji

● #Taiji

● #태지

Follow SEOTAIJI (@SEO_TAIJI) right now to get real-time updates about concerts and more.

About Twitter, Inc.

Twitter is what’s happening and what people are talking about right now. To learn more, visit about.twitter.com and follow @Twitter and @TwitterKorea. Let’s talk.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 March 2021 – The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today jointly organised the “Accelerating Reindustrialisation in Hong Kong and Theme Hall Opening Ceremony”, supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government, to outline the best strategies and available support for enterprises to realise reindustrialisation.

The “Accelerating Reindustrialisation in Hong Kong and Theme Hall Opening Ceremony” was unveiled by Ms Rebecca Pun, Commissioner of Innovation and Technology, HKSAR Government (centre), Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC (second from left), Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP (first from right), Mr Jimmy Kwok, Chairman of Reindustrialisation Funding Scheme Vetting Committee (second from right), as well as Mr Mohamed Butt, Executive Director of HKPC (first from left).

As ITC, HKPC and HKSTP are all committed to promoting reindustrialisation in Hong Kong, today’s collaboration is another fine example to the efforts of different stakeholders to provide four essential support covering finance, infrastructure, technology and talent development to facilitate reindustrialisation. The forum and theme hall opening are also the second signature events under HKPC’s “Make Smart Smarter” theme of the year campaign.

Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, and Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, were joined by Ms Rebecca Pun, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, as Guest-of-Honour, as well as Mr Jimmy Kwok, Chairman of the Re-industrialisation Funding Scheme (RFS) Vetting Committee, and Mr Mohamed Butt, Executive Director of HKPC, to officiate the launch of the reindustrialisation theme hall which aims to encourage local and Greater Bay Area manufacturers to set up high value-added production lines in Hong Kong, enabling them to leverage resources of ITC, HKPC and HKSTP that match their needs to achieve Industry 4.0 (i4.0).

In his welcoming address, Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, said, “HKPC is grateful to ITC and HKSTP for their unreserved support towards reindustrialisation and participation in this event. We hope this collaboration can help potential manufacturers to identify available support to achieve reindustrialisation. HKPC is very pleased to see that support covering finance, infrastructure, technology and talent development are all available. We will work harder to make use of research and development (R&D) as an engine to drive Hong Kong’s new economy, leveraging talent to build the future for Hong Kong so that various industries can reap benefits.”

Ms Rebecca Pun, the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, said, “Innovation and technology (I&T) development is one of the priority policy areas of the current-term Government. To date, the Government has allocated over $100 billion to support I&T development, and reindustrialisation is one of the major work areas. In recent years, we have been actively promoting reindustrialisation in four aspects, namely infrastructure, talent, technology and financial support, to develop advanced manufacturing industries that are based on new technologies and smart production without much land required so as to stimulate the demand for research and development, identify new growth points for Hong Kong’s economy, create quality jobs for young people and raise Hong Kong’s competitiveness.”

Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said, “Reindustrialisation is powering a diversified and resilient economy for the future of Hong Kong. It is enabling an ecosystem of digital industries that accelerates the creation of more technology companies, products, and most importantly, high-skilled employment for young people. HKSTP is extending our vibrant innovation and technology community to the city’s industrial estates, while creating the infrastructure and value-added services necessary to support these new opportunities. Together with ITC and HKPC, we are committed to turning reindustrialisation into reality and demonstrating the strength of ‘Innovated, Designed and Made in Hong Kong’.”

The “Golden Triangle” collaboration of ITC, HKPC and HKSTP in promoting reindustrialisation in Hong Kong, offers all-round support for manufacturers covering finance, advanced infrastructure, technology and talent development.

In terms of finance, ITC’s Innovation and Technology Fund provides financial support for local R&D work projects that can contribute to the technological upgrading of industries and promotion of innovation. RFS, Technology Voucher Programme, Innovation and Technology Support Programme, Partnership Research Programme, and Enterprises Support Scheme are some of the relevant funding schemes that offer resources for advanced manufacturers to perform high value functions.

In terms of infrastructure, HKSTP provides the necessary infrastructure and facilities for fostering industrial R&D and advanced manufacturing. It has built the Precision Manufacturing Centre and the Advanced Manufacturing Centre at its industrial parks for high value-added manufacturers with special demands on production facilities.

In terms of technology, HKPC has been assisting enterprises to move towards high value-added production and gradually upgrade to i4.0. With the set up of the INC Invention Centre (The Hatch) in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) of Germany to support Hong Kong enterprises in adopting innovative industrial technologies, it has also been actively engaging in the advancement of digitalisation, cyber security, FutureSkills, intelligent production, smart technologies and green living.

In terms of talent development, HKPC, together with the Vocational Training Council and Fraunhofer IPT, launched the first i4.0 professional diploma programme in Hong Kong in 2018. Memorandums of Understanding with universities such as Tsinghua University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong have been signed to incubate more InnoTalent, injecting new impetus into R&D and enhancing the competitiveness of Hong Kong businesses.

The “Accelerating Reindustrialisation in Hong Kong Forum” was held after the Opening Ceremony of the Reindustrialisation Theme Hall, featuring successful case sharing by manufacturers which have set up intelligent production in Hong Kong and the presence of prestigious speakers from banking, logistics and IT industries to share insights on how to grasp the opportunities brought by innovation & technology and identify new areas of growth for the local economy.

About Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a multi-disciplinary organisation established by statute in 1967, to promote productivity excellence through integrated advanced technologies and innovative service offerings to support Hong Kong enterprises. HKPC is the champion and expert in facilitating Hong Kong’s reindustrialisation empowered by i4.0 and e4.0 – focusing on R&D, IoT, big data analytics, AI and Robotic technology development, digital manufacturing, etc., to help enterprises and industries upgrade their business performance, lower operating costs, increase productivity and enhance competitiveness.

The Council is a trusted partner with comprehensive innovative solutions for Hong Kong industries and enterprises, enabling them to achieve resources and productivity utilisation, effectiveness and cost reduction, and enhanced competitiveness in both local and international marketplace. It offers SMEs and startups immediate and timely assistance in coping with the ever-changing business environment, accompanying them on their innovation and transformation journey.

In addition, HKPC partners and collaborates with local industries and enterprises to develop applied technology solutions for value creation. It also benefits a variety of sectors through product innovation and technology transfer, with commercialisation of multiple market-driven patents and technologies, bringing enormous opportunities abound for licensing and technology transfer, both locally and internationally.

For more information, please visit HKPC’s website: www.hkpc.org.

Solution provider to spearhead the acceleration of digitalization in the shipping and logistics ecosystem for transparency and a harmonized global trade environment

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 March 2021 – IQAX Limited, a leading-edge information technology company providing intelligent digital solutions for global shipping and trade, today announced it has been officially commissioned by the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) to develop, enhance and operate the world-class blockchain platform. The platform will enable real-time data sharing among authorized parties using blockchain technology for more transparent end-to-end supply chain visibility.

As a trusted partner IQAX will enable GSBN and its future members to develop standards and functionalities to seamlessly connect stakeholders in the global shipping and trading ecosystem while ensuring data integrity, security and service excellence are maintained.

Over the past year, the global health crisis catalyzed the need for business data and transparency in the supply chain as many businesses worked remotely, minimized contact points, and responded to the rapid changes in consumer demand. Many of those in the transportation and logistics sector faced mounting pressure on operations due to various challenges from labor availability, restrictive health protocols, to shifting trade patterns. In this environment, the need for a blockchain platform to facilitate tight, multiple-domain cooperation amongst every party in the global supply chain has become more important than ever before.

IQAX strives to create a harmonized global trade environment for the stakeholders in the multiple-domain ecosystem through its application development effort, products and services. Building solutions based on digital technologies including blockchain, IOT and AI, IQAX is connecting parties across multiple domains and creating intelligent solutions which help businesses embrace digitalization, information sharing and analysis, and respond faster to supply chain disruptions.

IQAX inherits the initial development of the blockchain platform from its business affiliate, CargoSmart Limited. Evolving and expanding upon its blockchain focus, IQAX will enable decentralized collaboration and governance to optimize cross-domain synergies and facilitate multiple-domain connectivity for the broader shipping ecosystem.

Bertrand Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Global Shipping Business Network, said “We are pleased to have IQAX as the platform provider for GSBN. We share the same vision of enabling and accelerating the digital transformation of the shipping industry. Through the platform built by IQAX, we will be able to bring all stakeholders together in a secure, neutral, trusted and equitable way, from logistics service providers to financial institutions. We aim to increase the speed of logistics and the ease of conducting trade globally, ultimately benefitting all parties involved. We are here to simplify trade for all.”

Moving forward, IQAX will help GSBN drive digitalization mandates that best meet the needs of the global trade ecosystem. IQAX plans to build on its vision to digitalize to create a harmonized global trade environment, as well as offering technologically advanced applications for shippers and logistics service providers to address current challenges through smart solutions which enable contactless interactions, tracking of physical cargo and alerts with recovery recommendations.

Sign up for updates about solutions to increase visibility for the global trade ecosystem at www.iqax.com, and follow IQAX on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About IQAX

IQAX is a global information technology company that provides intelligent and digital transformation solutions using blockchain for enterprises in the logistics ecosystem. Backed by its strong heritage in container shipping, IQAX strives to foster a harmonized and connected global trade environment. As an industry leader, IQAX connects with shippers, freight forwarders, carriers, terminals, and financial institutions, and empowers them with digitized solutions to meet emerging business challenges throughout the supply chain.

About GSBN

Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) is a data exchange platform established on a not-for-profit basis. Its shareholders are comprised of major global Carriers and Terminal Operators. Its mission is to enable and to accelerate the digital transformation of the global shipping industry by providing an end to end, secure, digital collaboration platform to share verified logistics and cargo data to benefit all stakeholders involved in global trade. Here to simplify trade for all. For more information please visit www.gsbn.trade

• The report focuses on three technologies—encryption, blockchain and 3D printing—and how they benefit criminals and law enforcement
• The tension this creates can be resolved on the enforcement side with cooperation and trust-building

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 March 2021 – Advances in technology bring many benefits, as the speed of development of the covid-19 vaccines demonstrates. But they also create new tensions across a host of areas. Unintended consequences, unexpected benefits: Technology, crime and illicit trade, a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, supported by Philip Morris International, explores those tensions across three technologies: encryption, blockchain and 3D printing.

Encryption

Encryption is both a technology that protects legitimate interests and one that is open to abuse by malicious actors. Law-abiding citizens value the protection offered by encryption to safeguard privacy in their daily lives; criminals also value it for safeguarding their illegal activities and identities.

The private sector has so far remained steadfast in their refusal to share encryption keys with governments and law enforcement. There’s little to suggest that stance is going to change soon, if ever, since any relaxation is likely to quickly result in users migrating to other platforms.

Blockchain

Despite its libertarian origins, blockchain may emerge as a leading enforcement technology for combating illicit trade. Distributed ledgers can enhance authenticity through a verifiable digital footprint for barcodes, serial numbers or cryptographic seals, making it far easier to identify fakes and counterfeits at every step of the supply chain.

There were concerns in the early stages of adoption that the anonymity granted by blockchain would facilitate greater criminal activity, especially in the area of money laundering. The evidence that existed at the time supported those concerns. Since then, however, studies have found that only 2% of bitcoin transactions can be tied to illicit activity and a 2020 survey of anti-laundering specialists predicted a decrease in use of cryptocurrencies for the same purpose.

3D printing

Much has been made of the criminal potential of 3D printing. Conventional wisdom says 3D printing is a problem for law enforcement to manage, rather than a tool to be leveraged, particularly given its can be used to print weapons. Private sector firms and customs agencies around the world are developing 3D printing tools to turn the tables, such as tracking the distinct “digital fingerprints” left by individual printers and creating replicas of legitimate goods to spot counterfeits.

Chris Clague, the editor of the report, says: “For all the benefits technology can bring to legitimate society, each new advance creates new opportunities for criminals to exploit and that of course include the international terrorist organisations and transnational organised crime networks that engage in illicit trade. As always when it comes to illicit trade, there are examples of cooperation and trust-building between the private sector, governments and international enforcement agencies, but there is still a lot of work left to be done.”

Download full report here.

About The Economist Intelligence Unit

The EIU is the thought leadership, research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence for executives. We uncover novel and forward-looking perspectives with access to over 650 expert analysts and editors across 200 countries worldwide. More information can be found on www.eiuperspectives.economist.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company and its shareholders. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products, while not risk-free, meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements.

For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

• MODIFI will use the funds to expand into the US.
• MODIFI’s digital trade finance platform provides SMEs with buyer and seller financing in a matter of days.
• MODIFI tripled its business in 2020 and launched in four new markets during the pandemic – China, Hong Kong, UAE and Spain. The trend has continued in 2021 with the launch in the Netherlands.

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – Media OutReach – 17 March 2021 – Global fintech MODIFI announces a new 60m USD debt facility with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), bringing its total raised capital to 111m USD. The facility from SVB’s German Branch will be used to address increasing demand in existing markets, as well as fuel MODIFI’s continuing growth and finance buyers and sellers in new geographies, particularly the US.

Expansion into the US, paired with the existing coverage, will establish MODIFI as the only digital trade finance platform focused on SMEs that spans the three major trading regions of Europe, Asia and North America – a cluster which encompasses approximately 80% of global imports and exports respectively.

Small and medium-sized businesses are turned down in 50% of cases when requesting trade finance, which has resulted in a 1.5 trillion USD annual funding gap. The pandemic has only exacerbated the situation as risk appetite decreased globally. MODIFI is empowering SMEs to trade internationally and grow, thus benefiting local economies.

“We are excited to partner with Silicon Valley Bank on our journey to digitize the global trade industry, which has traditionally been extremely paper-heavy” says CEO and Co-Founder Nelson Holzner. “The pandemic has forced many analogue processes to move online, and we are seeing more and more SMEs appreciating the value of a platform that provides them with trade finance from their own homes, whenever they need it”.

“We’re pleased to become a new funding partner to MODIFI to support its geographical expansion to the US, further investment in its digital platform and continued growth. Our partnership builds on the momentum of SVB’s warehouse financing platform in EMEA as it showcases our ability to be a key partner in financing global innovators like MODIFI”, says Folake Shasanya, Managing Director of Fintech Warehousing at SVB EMEA.

“Supporting innovation is in our DNA and we are delighted to provide this significant facility to MODIFI through our EMEA warehouse financing team from our SVB German Branch”, adds Christian Hoppe, Managing Director, SVB Germany.

MODIFI tripled their business in 2020 as a result of a strong performance during the pandemic. The increase in demand for digital cash management solutions allowed the company to expand to four new markets in 2020, launching in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Spain. The trend has continued in 2021 with MODIFI’s launch in the Netherlands. The company currently operates out of 7 offices in Berlin, Amsterdam, Delhi, Mumbai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Dubai.

“Despite the unprecedented disruption to the world’s economies, 2020 proved a strong year for MODIFI. As global supply chains were destabilized, SMEs found it harder to trade on favourable credit terms. We were well positioned to step in and address the needs of the market” says Holzner. “Our simple tech solutions allow us to digitally underwrite our customers and provide them with import and export financing in a matter of days”.

About MODIFI:

MODIFI is solving global Trade Finance for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). Founded in 2018, MODIFI is tackling a $20 trillion industry in which 50% of requests for Trade Finance by SMEs are rejected by banks, resulting in a funding gap of $1.5 trillion annually. Through its paperless online platform, the company empowers businesses to grow, fostering strong international partnerships and benefitting local economies. To see how small and medium sized businesses can benefit from MODIFI’s digital Trade Finance, visit www.modifi.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Silicon Valley Bank:

For more than 36 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative businesses and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides a range of financial services and targeted expertise to companies of all sizes in innovation centres around the world, including the UK. With commercial and international banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com

Silicon Valley Bank Germany Branch is a branch of Silicon Valley Bank. Silicon Valley Bank, a public corporation with limited liability (Aktiengesellschaft) under the laws of the U.S. federal state of California, with registered office in Santa Clara, California, U.S.A. is registered with the California Secretary of State under No. C1175907, Chief Executive Officer (Vorstand): Gregory W Becker, Chairman of the Board of Directors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender): Roger F Dunbar. Silicon Valley Bank Germany Branch with registered office in Frankfurt am Main is registered with the local court of Frankfurt am Main under No. HRB 112038, Branch Directors (Geschäftsleiter): Oscar C Jazdowski, Joan Parsons. © 2021 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. SVB, SVB FINANCIAL GROUP, SILICON VALLEY BANK, MAKE NEXT HAPPEN NOW and the chevron device are trademarks of SVB Financial Group, used under license.

Threat actors weaponizing cloud storage, advanced cloud-based tools to create record ransomware attack effectiveness, volume

• Ransomware soars with 62% increase since 2019
• Office files preferred by cybercriminals, surpass PDFs, roughly 1 in 4 malicious
• Never-before-seen’ malware variants up 74% year-over-year
• Cryptojacking shows three-year high with 28% year-over-year increase
• IoT malware rises 66% as criminals continue to leverage COVID-19 pandemic
• Retail, healthcare and government face mounting ransomware volume

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 17 March 2021 – The pandemic’s work-from-home reality resulted in an unprecedented change for organisations as they fought to defend exponentially greater attack surfaces from cybercriminals armed with powerful cloud-based tools, cloud storage and endless targets. As working environments evolved, so did the methods of threat actors and other motivated perpetrators, as detailed in the latest 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report.

“2020 offered a perfect storm for cybercriminals and a critical tipping point for the cyber arms race,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner. “The pandemic — along with remote work, a charged political climate, record prices of cryptocurrency, and threat actors weaponizing cloud storage and tools — drove the effectiveness and volume of cyberattacks to new highs. This latest threat intelligence offers a look at how cybercriminals shifted and refined their tactics, painting a picture of what they are doing amid the uncertain future that lies ahead.”

The 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report highlights how COVID-19 provided threat actors with ample opportunity for more powerful, aggressive and numerous attacks, thriving on the fear and uncertainty of remote and mobile workforces navigating corporate networks from home.

“There is no code of conduct when it comes to cybercriminals, their methods of attacks and the selection of their targets,” said Conner. “Technology is moving at an unprecedented rate. Threats that were once thought to be two or three years away are now a reality, with do-it-yourself, cloud-based tools creating an army of cybercriminals armed with the same devastating force and impact of a nation-state or larger criminal enterprise. Organisations must remain vigilant and proactive in hardening their cybersecurity posture.”

Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President, Regional Sales adds “As more organisations are adopting to digital transformation, it is imperative to have strategies in place to plan mitigation, build resilience and respond to anomalies. With the increase in data breach and leaked information, organisations are now more susceptible to threats and need to be more prepared than ever in combating cyber attacks.” He continues “The findings in the 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report reveals great insights into the latest threats, including those in Asia Pacific and how organisations can better prepare for security optimisation.”

The 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report goes inside the stories that headlined 2020, and takes a closer look at new and disruptive cyber threats to provide insight into the evolving cyber threat landscape. Major findings of the new in-depth SonicWall report include:

• Ransomware reaches new heights with increasingly targeted attacks: A 62% increase in ransomware globally, and 158% spike in North America, points to cybercriminals using more sophisticated tactics and more dangerous variants, like Ryuk, to earn an easy payday.
• Ryuk ransomware rises from obscurity, sees astronomical increase: First identified in August 2018, Ryuk did not appear outside of North America, Europe or Asia as late as January 2020. The following month, Ryuk began climbing the charts, eventually overtaking top-ranking Cerber ransomware. With 109.9 million cases detected worldwide, Ryuk was logged nearly every eight seconds in September alone.
• More ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants identified: SonicWall’s newly patented Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection™ (RTDMI), a component of the company’s Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) sandbox service, discovered 268,362 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants in 2020, a 74% year-over-year increase. RTDMI™ is proven to proactively detect and block unknown mass-market malware, including malicious Office, and PDF file types.
• Malicious Office files surpass last year’s preferred PDFs: SonicWall research shows the shift to employees working from home full-time could be directly linked to the increased utilization of Office files and PDFs as malicious vehicles armed with phishing URLs, embedded malicious files and other dangerous exploits. New SonicWall data indicates a 67% increase in malicious Office files in 2020, while malicious PDFs dropped 22%.
• Cryptojacking returns as cryptocurrency breaks records: Once thought to be a dying attack vector after the industry’s major mining operation boarded its online service, cryptojacking is back thanks to rising cryptocurrency values and its appeal of concealed payouts. Total cryptojacking for 2020 set records with 81.9 million hits, a 28% increase from last year’s 64.1 million total.
• IoT malware increases as pandemic creates potential network of disruption: In March 2020, masses of employees packed their personal office belongings and equipment to work from home for months on end, simultaneously creating an explosion of new attack vectors. In 2020, SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers recorded 56.9 million IoT malware attempts, a 66% increase that showed shifting tactics for lurking cybercriminals.
• Intrusion attempts up as attack patterns change: The distribution of intrusion attacks took on an entirely new character as a result of the changes brought on by the pandemic. In 2020, Directory Traversal tactics (34%) took over the top spot after a tie with remote code execution (21% for both) in 2019.
• Retail, healthcare and government face mounting ransomware volume: Industry-specific ransomware data reflects the impact cybercriminals had on retail (365%), healthcare (123%) and government (21%) sectors over the course of the pandemic.

The annual 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report arms enterprises, small- and medium-sized business, government agencies and other organisations with actionable threat intelligence collected by the SonicWall Capture Labs threat research team. In-house researchers work collectively with other industry experts, over 50 industry collaboration groups, research teams and freelance security researchers.

Data for the report is gathered from over 1.1 million sensors strategically placed in over 215 countries and territories around the world as well as cross-vector, threat related information shared among SonicWall security systems, including firewalls, email security devices, endpoint security solutions, honeypots, content filtering systems and the SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) multi-engine sandbox.

To download the complete 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, please visit www.sonicwall.com/ThreatReport.

About SonicWall

SonicWall delivers Boundless Cybersecurity for the hyper-distributed era in a work reality where everyone is remote, mobile and unsecure. SonicWall safeguards organisations mobilizing for their new business normal with seamless protection that stops the most evasive cyberattacks across boundless exposure points and increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled workforces. By knowing the unknown, providing real-time visibility and enabling breakthrough economics, SonicWall closes the cybersecurity business gap for enterprises, governments and SMBs worldwide. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.