INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
Check Point Software finds escalation of Web API cyberattacks in 2024 , Africa experiences 85 % increase YoY
In the first month of 2024 , attempts to attack Web APIs impacted 1 in 4.6 organisations worldwide every week , marking a 20 % increase compared to January 2023 , highlighting the growing risk associated with API vulnerabilities . North America is the most impacted region with 1 in 4.3 organisations suffering such attacks on average per week . Africa had the largest rise in attacks compared to January last year , with an 85 % increase equating to 1 in 4.9 organisations impacted weekly .
Globally , education leads as the most impacted sector , with most sectors having a double-digit surge in attacks from last year . Meanwhile , cloud-based organisational networks experience a 34 % rise in attacks compared to the same period last year , and overtake on-prem organisational networks in the overall impact of API attacks , underscoring the evolving cloud threat landscape .
Exploits like the Fortinet Authentication Bypass and Ivanti ’ s zero- day vulnerabilities have had widespread impacts , with the latter involving unauthorised data access and the spread of crypto-miner malware , demonstrating the critical nature of securing APIs against emerging threats .
The report states that the landscape of cyber security is continuously evolving , with Web Application Programming Interfaces , APIs becoming a focal point for cyber attackers . APIs , which facilitate communication between different software applications , present a broader attack surface than traditional web applications .
The impact of these attacks is widespread across various industries , with education being the most targeted . The telecommunications sector saw the most significant increase in attacks , + 46 %, although most sectors also experienced a double-digit increase from last January , emphasising the urgent need for enhanced security measures across all sectors .
Moreover , as the cloud threat landscape evolves , cloud-based organisations face a growing threat of cyberattacks over web APIs . This January showed a 34 % increase in attacks on cloud-based organisational networks compared to the previous year , almost double the increase seen in on-premises networks .
Erick Njoroge , Check Point Security Engineer , East Africa
The impact of these attacks on cloud-based networks is now also higher overall than in on-premises environments , fuelled by organisations shifting their operations to the cloud along with web application APIs , making it an attractive attack vector .
This exposure is due to the inherent vulnerabilities within Web APIs that can lead to authentication bypasses , unauthorised data access , and a range of malicious activities . Despite the implementation of security measures by organisations , the existence of shadow APIs , those not officially created or secured by the organisation , poses additional risks , as does the adoption of third-party APIs , which may later reveal vulnerabilities that jeopardise all using entities . p
Top impacted countries in Africa
Country
Weekly average of impacted organization , Jan 2024 Kenya 1 out of 4 Mauritius 1 out of 5 Ethiopia 1 out of 5 Nigeria 1 out of 5 Ghana 1 out of 5 Namibia 1 out of 5 South Africa 1 out of 6 Zambia 1 out of 7 Mozambique 1 out of 7 Zimbabwe 1 out of 7 Morocco 1 out of 8 Uganda 1 out of 9 Cote d ’ Ivoire 1 out of 9
Top impacted industries in Africa
Industry |
Weekly average of impacted |
organization , Jan 2024 |
Wholesale and Distribution |
1 out of 4 |
Telecommunications |
1 out of 5 |
Financial Services |
1 out of 5 |
Government |
1 out of 6 |
Energy and Utilities |
1 out of 6 |
Transportation and Logistics |
1 out of 6 |
Industrial Manufacturing |
1 out of 7 |
Education |
1 out of 9 |
Hospitality , Travel , Recreation |
1 out of 17 |
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