DATASHEET
Cybercrime Threats to The Telecommunications Sector
Malware, ransomware, initial access, fraud, DDoS and APT campaigns against telecom operators.
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Telecommunications providers, from ISPs to mobile and satellite operators, are an ideal target: compromising one company opens the door to the data of millions of customers and enterprises, and outages carry major social and economic impact. This datasheet reviews the persistent threats KELA observed against the sector in 2023.
Ransomware and extortion actors hit almost 60 telecom victims in 2023, more than double the previous year, while initial access brokers listed around 55 telecom network accesses for sale and IoT botnet traffic against telecom networks increased fivefold.
What's inside:
- Malware and ransomware attacks on telecom companies, led by LockBit, Clop and Alphv
- Network access sales and the telecom sector’s place among the top 10 targets of initial access brokers
- Hacktivist DDoS campaigns by NoName057(16) and others during the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts
- Fraud activity: SIM swapping, stolen eSIMs, VoIP spoofing and access to telecom admin panels
- APT campaigns against telecom providers, database dumps and KELA’s recommendations
