Global Threat Landscape Report: A Semiannual Report by FortiGuard Labs

Another half-year through unprecedented times has passed. But as unique as these times may feel, we continue to see familiar exploits, names, and attacks taking up space. To help you and your business feel confident in your ability to protect yourself against the threats that continue to come our way, this report looks back on the cyber threat landscape of the first half of 2022 using our global array of sensors monitored by FortiGuard Labs. Here’s what we learned:

• Ransomware Roundup - Over the past six months, we have seen 10,666 ransomware variants across our platform, compared to just 5,400 in the previous six months. That’s almost 2x growth in ransomware variants in half a year.


• Wipers Widening - 1H-2022 saw a surge of wipers (malware designed to delete data) deployed in parallel with the Russia-Ukraine war. However, those wipers didn’t just stay in one place - their proliferation worldwide proves there are truly no borders when it comes to cybercriminal activity.


• OT Vulnerabilities - Operational Technology (OT) products are increasingly targeted and demonstrate higher risk due to today’s shift from air-gapped environments to the interconnected world. We look at which OT vendors have the highest volume of vulnerabilities.