In 2022, we recorded 2,110 victims found on cyber extortion (Cy-X) leak sites on the dark web. We define Cy-X as a form of computer crime in which the security of a corporate digital asset (Confidentiality, Integrity or Availability) is compromised and exploited in a threat of some form to extort a payment. This is a slight downward trend compared to what we have previously been observing; and the outlook to Q1 2023 is already showing a high increase in victim count.
Why this is, is still an open question. One potential explanation could be the ongoing war against Ukraine by Russia. Stay tune as we explore the threat landscape.
Join our webinar on Thursday 8 June, 2 pm BST / 15:00 CET / 9:00 AM US EST to learn about the potential impact on the Cy-X ecosystem and the threat actors behind these concerning attacks as published in our latest annual Cy-X report.
Charl van der Walt
Head of Security Research
Diana Selck-Paulsson
Lead Security Researcher
Vincent Hinderer
Cyber Threat Intelligence team leader