Cyberattacks can be catastrophic for organizations and their customers. From disrupting critical infrastructure to stealing customer data and financial systems, the effects of a cyber attack are widespread and have long-lasting consequences. These incidents often cause business disruption, lost revenue, and erosion of trust. In addition, they can threaten national security and economic stability if they target sectors like energy and transportation.
Threat actors have increased their focus on critical sectors. Recent high-profile attacks have highlighted the dangers of a cyberattack and the risks of weak cybersecurity. For example, the Salt Typhoon cyber attack – attributed to Chinese threat actors – targeted eight US telecommunications companies in pursuit of unclassified voice, video, and text communications of government leaders and prominent political figures. This attack highlights the need for governments to prioritize and invest in cybersecurity measures, especially when it comes to protecting their critical infrastructure.
Another case in point is the ransomware attack on DP World’s operations. This incident caused delays in clearing US Treasury trades and repo financing and resulted in the brokerage temporarily owing BNY Mellon $9 billion. This is a clear sign of the growing risk of payment interruption for organizations. It also shows the importance of implementing a resilient and comprehensive cybersecurity strategy to prevent attacks and protect customer data.
Vulnerability exploitation was linked to 20% of breaches in 2025, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). The rise in these attacks is due to threat actors leveraging new methods to compromise targets and evade detection. This is why defenders need to prioritize vulnerability remediation and leverage automated tools such as CVSS scoring, threat intelligence, and AI-based vulnerability triage.