Israel Becomes Second Most Targeted Country for Cyberattacks in 2024

Israel has surged to the second spot on the list of most-targeted countries for cyberattacks, according to the 2024 Radware Annual Cyber Report. This marks a significant rise from fourth place in 2023. The report highlights a disturbing 550% increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks globally, with the average duration of these attacks rising by 37%.

In 2024, Israel faced a staggering 1,550 cyberattacks, trailing only Ukraine, which experienced 2,052 attacks. The United States rounded out the top three. This sharp rise reflects the growing challenges Israel faces in the digital warfare landscape, with cybersecurity becoming an increasingly critical focus for the country.

The report also emphasized the geopolitical connection between regions and cyber threats. Europe and the Middle East were the most targeted, accounting for 78% of all global cyberattacks. This connection suggests that rising geopolitical tensions are playing a key role in driving the frequency and severity of cyber incidents.

Pro-Russian and Pro-Palestinian Groups Lead Attacks

Radware’s report identifies several organizations responsible for the bulk of these attacks. Leading the charge is NoName057(16), a pro-Russian entity, which has conducted a large number of attacks globally. Other notable groups include RipperSec, a pro-Palestinian organization, Executor DDoS, a mercenary group, and the pro-Russian Cyber Army of Russia Reborn. These groups have contributed significantly to the escalating threat landscape, with many of them leveraging advanced tactics to breach networks and compromise security.

The Evolution of Cyber Threats

Radware VP of Cyber Intelligence, Ron Meyran, remarked on the "revolution" in the threat landscape, driven by geopolitical conflicts, the rising complexity of attacks, and the expansion of cloud migration. "The growing use of artificial intelligence is also lowering the entry barriers for cyberattacks, allowing even less experienced attackers to execute harmful operations with relative ease," he said. This evolution in cyber threats is increasingly challenging organizations to step up their defense strategies.

Sectors Most Affected by Cyberattacks

The telecommunications sector bore the brunt of global DDoS attack volumes, accounting for 43% of total incidents. Financial services were the second most targeted sector, suffering from a staggering 393% year-over-year increase in attack volume per organization. The transportation and logistics industries also experienced sharp growth in attack volume, seeing a 375% increase.

Meyran further emphasized that cyber defense must evolve with the changing threat environment. “Organizations need to excel in defense management to cope with the rising sophistication of attacks and new, less experienced adversaries entering the field.”