Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1509943
11 OPINION 19.10.2023 MICROSOFT has released its annual Digital Defence Report with the latest insights on how the threat landscape has evolved but also the mechanisms developed to deal with geopolitical cyberattacks and cybercrime. Accord- ing to the report last year saw massive cyberattacks launched by govern- ments in more than 120 countries. During the same period, Microsoft thwarted 237 billion password theft attempts, protecting millions of users around the world from the threat of cybercrime. Cybersecurity is a defining challenge of our time. Organizations of every size across every industry around the globe feel the urgency and pressure of protecting and defending against in- creasingly sophisticated attacks. "We believe every individual and company around the world should be empowered to meet its security needs. Achieving this will require a collective global effort as we harness the power of partnership to strengthen our de- fences together," says Tom Burt, Cor- porate Vice President, of Customer Security & Trust at Microsoft. "Close collaboration between the public and private sectors to formu- late, enforce, and harmonize these requirements is therefore crucial to improve global cybersecurity and foster innovation. In fact, while cy- bercriminals have remained hard at work, we are seeing public and private sectors come together to disrupt the technologies criminals use, hold them to account, and support the victims of cybercrime," he added. While AI is transforming cybersecu- rity, using it to stay ahead of threats requires massive amounts of diverse data. Here at Microsoft, our more than 10,000 security experts analyse over 65 trillion signals each day with the help of AI, and Microsoft Threat Intelligence teams track hundreds of threat actor groups worldwide. Microsoft's security ecosystem in- cludes more than 15,000 security partners with specialized solutions, while the global open community of security researchers and testers con- tribute to bug bounties and securi- ty challenges. This broad, deep, and diverse security ecosystem is driving some of the most influential insights in cybersecurity. "Societies worldwide acknowledge the importance of collective action, especially in cybersecurity, as we strive for a safer world. While individ- ual organizations focus on safeguard- ing their interests, collaboration is a powerful force multiplier. Partner- ships involving government agencies, businesses, academia, non-profits, and others are essential for robust cy- ber defences," added Tom Burt. Microsoft's report explained how to understand the need for collabora- tion, one must consider the concept of a "cyber poverty line" which defines the minimum resources needed for adequate cyber protection. "Defining and addressing this line requires cooperation among stake- holders because no single tech com- pany can solve all cybersecurity chal- lenges. This necessitates partnerships that span public and private sectors, policy groups, and standards bodies and involve building safer technolo- gy, sharing threat intelligence, setting common standards, and countering cybercriminal tools." "Basically, there needs to be a col- laboration to push innovation bound- aries and integrate security products for end-to-end protection." The study pointed out how stake- holders must recognize their shared responsibility and actively engage in partnerships to enhance cybersecuri- ty. "History shows that working togeth- er can create a safer digital future. Non-profits, academia, and research institutions are vital in advancing cy- bersecurity as they bridge theory and practical application, contribute to re- search, innovate, and educate future professionals. Collaborative projects between academia, non-profits, and industry promote innovation and ad- dress emerging threats." Microsoft's report also shared in- sights on newly observed ransomware and extortion tactics and trends and how the number of human-operated ransomware attacks were up by more than 200% since September 2022. "The good news is, for organiza- tions with a strong security posture, the likelihood of an attack succeed- ing is very low. Typically, an attack is stopped in the pre-ransom phase, with on average 2% of attacks pro- gressing to a successful ransomware deployment." "Approximately 40% of the ransom- ware encounters we detected in June were human-driven. Most of these at- tacks can be attributed to 123 tracked ransomware-as-a-service affiliates. The number of affiliates grew by 12% in the last year, setting up conditions for human-operated ransomware at- tacks to continue to grow in 2024," said the report. Record cyberattacks on states, businesses and people Microso Publishes 2023 Digital Defence Report • Over 750 billion security signals per second, processed by Microsoft • 70% of companies affected by cyberattacks in 2023 are small and medium businesses • Over 237 billion password theft attempts thwarted by Microsoft THE 2023 version of the Melita bullion coins, first issued in 2018, was launched on 18 October 2023. ese coins are the result of a collabtoration project be- tween the Central Bank of Malta and Lombard Bank Malta plc. e coins, which are legal ten- der in Malta, were issued in four different weights and denomi- nations. e €100 coin weighs one troy ounce (31.10g), the €50 coin weighs one half-ounce coin (15.55g) the €25 coin weighs one quarter-ounce (7.77g) and the €10 coin weighs one-tenth ounce (3.1g). ey are struck in 999.9 fine gold (24 carat) by MKS PAMP S.A. Mint in Switzer- land and rank among the purest official bullion coins available worldwide. On the obverse the coins carry the coat of arms of the Republic of Malta, while on the reverse they feature Melita - an allegor- ical representation of Malta. e figure of Melita represented on the coins is inspired by that cre- ated by Edward Caruana Dingli for a set of postage stamps is- sued shortly after Malta attained self-government in 1921. e coins are certified and housed individually in a sealed card. Each coin has a unique profile that can be verified using PAMP's innovative VERISCAN bullion security system. Coins may be purchased from the Malta Coin Centre (MCC) counter or e-shop on www. maltacoincentre.com as well as Lombard Bank's branch and www.maltacoins.com. Since the coins are classed as investment gold, their price will be based on the international price of gold. us prices will be quoted at the point of sale. ese coins are ex- empt from VAT. 2023 version of the Melita bullion coins launched