2024 Cyber Attack Summary
The Biggest Cyberattacks of 2024: Impact, Ramifications, and Notoriety
Cyber attacks make headlines for their audacity, scale, and consequences. I’ve broken down 2024 by discussing high-profile breaches, ransomware campaigns, and state-sponsored espionage operations that shook industries and governments alike. To fully understand the significance of these events, I’ve categorized them based on their impact on people and organizations, global and geopolitical ramifications, severity of data exposed, and public attention and notoriety. Here’s a look at some of the most notable cyberattacks of the year:
Category 1: Greatest Impact on People and Organizations
Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack
Key Details: Disrupted healthcare services nationwide, affecting over 100 million people. Exposed sensitive health records and personal data.
Notable Perpetrator: ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group.
Technique Used: Ransomware was deployed through phishing emails containing malicious links or attachments, enabling attackers to infiltrate and encrypt critical systems.
https://www.hipaajournal.com/change-healthcare-responding-to-cyberattack
https://www.wired.com/story/the-most-dangerous-people-on-the-internet-in-202
Synnovis Ransomware Attack
Key Details: Disrupted NHS services in the UK, delaying medical procedures and affecting thousands.
Notable Perpetrator: Qilin cybercriminal group.
Technique Used: Ransomware deployed via compromised third-party software used in the NHS network, exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities to spread malware across systems.
https://www.ft.com/content/d2be7c65-bf44-4a7d-9791-6deafe66659f
Category 2: Greatest Global and Geopolitical Ramifications
China’s Salt Typhoon Telecom Breaches
Key Details: Targeted major U.S. telecoms, including Verizon and AT&T, with surveillance on political campaigns and individuals under wiretap orders.
Notable Perpetrator: State-backed Chinese espionage group Salt Typhoon.
Technique Used: Persistent infiltration using zero-day exploits and network surveillance tools to maintain long-term access to telecom networks.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/30/att_verizon_confirm_salt_typhoon_breach
Russia’s Midnight Blizzard Breach at Microsoft
Key Details: Breached Microsoft executives' email accounts, exposing intelligence and targeting high-level investigations.
Notable Perpetrator: Russia’s SVR-linked APT 29 (Cozy Bear).
Technique Used: Credential theft through spear-phishing campaigns targeting senior executives, followed by lateral movement to access sensitive emails.
Category 3: Greatest Severity of Data Exposed
North Korean Cryptocurrency Theft
Key Details: Stole $1.34 billion across 47 incidents to fund weapons programs, accounting for 61% of all cryptocurrency thefts in 2024.
Notable Perpetrator: Lazarus Group.
Technique Used: Exploiting vulnerabilities in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and social engineering to compromise private keys and gain access to wallets.
Snowflake Customer Breaches
Key Details: Exploited weak authentication to target 165 organizations, exposing sensitive data from companies like AT&T and Ticketmaster.
Notable Perpetrator: Alleged leader Alexander Moucka was arrested.
Technique Used: Stolen credentials were used to log in to accounts without two-factor authentication, allowing attackers to access sensitive cloud-stored data.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/05/snowflake-customer-passwords-found-online-infostealing-malware
Category 4: Public Attention and Notoriety
National Public Data Breach
Key Details: Exposed approximately 2.9 billion records, potentially affecting individuals across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Resulted in lawsuits and the parent company’s bankruptcy.
Notable Perpetrator: A hacker operating under the alias "USDoD" claimed responsibility, offering the stolen data for sale on the dark web.
Technique Used: Data scraping and credential stuffing attacks leveraging compromised passwords from unrelated breaches.
https://www.the-sun.com/money/12273914/social-security-breach-cybersecurity-hack-protect
Internet Archive Breach
Key Details: Exposed 31 million user records, highlighting vulnerabilities in digital preservation.
Notable Perpetrator: Specific details about the individuals or groups responsible have not been publicly disclosed.
Technique Used: Unauthorized access through weak authentication controls and outdated security protocols, allowing attackers to extract user data.
https://www.newsweek.com/catastrophic-internet-archive-hack-hits-31-million-people-1966866
The Impact of 2024’s Cyberattacks
Category 1: Greatest Impact on People and Organizations
The healthcare sector bore the brunt of ransomware attacks this year. The Change Healthcare ransomware attack stands out as the most devastating due to its disruption of critical medical services and exposure of sensitive data for over 100 million individuals. This event underscores the vulnerability of healthcare infrastructure to cyber threats. Similarly, the Synnovis ransomware attack paralyzed the NHS, delaying essential treatments for thousands and revealing systemic weaknesses in healthcare cybersecurity.
Category 2: Greatest Global and Geopolitical Ramifications
State-sponsored cyberattacks highlighted the growing geopolitical stakes of cyberspace. The Salt Typhoon breaches by Chinese operatives targeted key U.S. telecoms, surveilling high-profile political figures and raising alarm about national security. In a parallel narrative, Russia’s Midnight Blizzard breach compromised Microsoft executives’ emails, showcasing the ongoing intelligence war between global superpowers.
Category 3: Greatest Severity of Data Exposed
The sheer scale of financial damage from North Korea’s cryptocurrency thefts is staggering, with $1.34 billion stolen to fund weapons programs. This highlights how cybercrime can directly fuel geopolitical instability. Meanwhile, the Snowflake customer breaches revealed systemic weaknesses in cloud authentication, affecting 165 organizations and exposing critical business data.
Category 4: Public Attention and Notoriety
The National Public Data breach grabbed headlines for its delayed disclosure, which fueled public speculation and legal challenges, ultimately leading to the parent company’s bankruptcy. The Internet Archive breach, while less severe, drew attention for targeting a beloved institution, raising concerns about digital preservation security.