2020 Trustwave Global Security Report

Welcome to the 2020 Trustwave Global Security Report, our annual review of the phenomena, trends and statistics affecting computer security and worldwide safety, as observed by Trustwave systems and security analysts throughout 2019. As we enter a new decade, we take a fresh look at the changing face of compromise, from the ways in which increasingly sophisticated threat actors adapted in recent years to improvements in threat detection and response and how people in white hats responded.

The following pages detail the malicious, ingenious tricks and techniques cybercriminals developed to take advantage of people and systems and stay one step ahead of security systems and response specialists. As attackers evolve, we too evolve to respond to them, and many security practices and assumptions are updated.

Still, some things never change. We can count on cybercriminals to take whatever approach nets them the most gain for the lowest risk, even as the exact nature of that approach changes. Sometimes they look to their own pasts for new directions. For instance, exploit kits, which seemed nearly dormant last year following the demise of illicit cryptocurrency mining, the hot new thing in 2018, appear to be making a comeback.

This year’s report includes updated statistics and analysis of data compromise, email threats, exploits and malware, and database and network security.

We hope the information will provide valuable insights about the everchanging nature of the threat landscape and help your organization improve its security posture and better defend its most valuable assets.