2020 Cyber Security Report

Each year, Check Point Research (CPR) reviews previous year cyber incidents to gather key insights about the global cyber threat landscape. In this 2020 Cyber Security Annual Report, we offer a review of 2019’s major cyber incidents, suggest predictions for 2020, and recommend best practices to help keep your organization safe from cyber attacks.

With the popularity of cloud computing and network-connected smartphones, it’s no secret that there are more ways to invade an organization. A once hardened network perimeter is now blurred and porous to cyber attacks, and the bad actors are well aware.

If there’s one clear takeaway from 2019, it’s that no organization, big or small, is immune from a devastating cyber attack. Cyber exploits are more sophisticated, illusive, and targeted than ever before. With cybercrime rates estimated to have generated US$1.5 trillion in 2018,1 navigating today’s complex cyber threat landscape requires comprehensive cyber security.

In 2019, becoming an under protected, “sweet spot” for hacking was dangerous for entire industries. A large number of state and local public sector agencies were ravaged by ransomware attacks. In some cases, entire local  governments were forced to declare a state of emergency due to the massive leaks of sensitive data and loss of services.

In this 2020 Cyber Security Annual Report, we provide you with a timeline of 2019’s significant cyber events, including their relevant facts and insights. By analyzing our telemetric, product and vulnerability research, and our own ThreatCloud threat intelligence, we offer a detailed analysis of the cyber trends you need to consider. We then offer our 2020 vision which includes cyber security predictions.

Finally, we offer recommendations on cyber protection strategies, using security “hygiene” best practices, advanced technology, and the focus on prevention, not detection or remediation. In order to adopt a winning strategy against zero-day, unknown cyber attacks, prevention should be considered.