About 18% of businesses reported experiencing cyberattacks between July 2020 and April 2021

About 18% of businesses that responded to a comprehensive survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), conducted between July 2020 and April 2021, reported experiencing cyberattacks. According to CBS data, one in 30 businesses reported financial damage as a result of such an attack, while in the information and communication industry this estimate stands at one in 20 businesses.
The survey population includes businesses with 10 or more jobs in most industries, with the exception of the following industries: agriculture, finance, diamonds, public and local administration, education, health, households and non-governmental organizations, according to the CBS Business Register. 31,000 businesses, and the sample includes about 2,500 companies.
According to the CBS, the gap between hacks and large and small businesses can be due to two main reasons, one is that large businesses use many communication systems and are therefore more vulnerable to cyberspace compared to small businesses; and the second reason is that large businesses are more aware of these threats Unlike small businesses where these attacks may not have been detected.The most common security measures used by businesses are keeping software versions up to date (68%) and means for detecting and preventing damage (65%).
The CBS data is published against the background of many cyber attacks in recent times, mainly of the criminal group BlackShadow which is behind the cyber attacks against the insurance company Shirbit, the dating site Atref and KLS Capital. Last week the group published new information that probably concerns Shirbit customers. Also, hackers recently attacked Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, when according to a preliminary analysis, it is a cybercrime group called DeepBlueMagic.
The CBS survey also shows that only about 14.8% of businesses make online sales, while in the hospitality and food industry, online sales were made in about 34.1% of businesses, compared with about 19.4% of businesses in the trade industry.