Email breaches impact 80% of critical infrastructure entities
A recent study conducted by OPSWAT delves into the email security landscape within critical infrastructure organizations, revealing that 80% of critical infrastructure entities have fallen victim to an email security breach in the past year. The research indicates that for every 1,000 employees, these organizations witness the following on an annual basis:
- 5.7 successful phishing attacks
- 5.6 compromised accounts
- 4.4 incidents of data leakage.
It is emphasized in the study that critical infrastructure organizations are prime targets for cybercriminals, resulting in frequent cyberattacks as a consequence.
The findings of the report shed light on the current state of email cybersecurity within critical infrastructure, revealing subpar success rates. Nearly half (48%) of critical infrastructure entities lack confidence in the effectiveness of their current email defenses against cyber threats. Additionally, 63.6% do not believe that their current email defenses are leading in the industry.
Despite this, email continues to be the primary avenue for attacks targeting critical infrastructure organizations. A median of 75% of threats are delivered via email, with a range of 61% to 100% for two out of three critical infrastructure entities.
