Microsoft emphasized in its 2024 annual Digital Defense report that the cyber threat landscape remains both "dangerous and complex," posing significant risks to organizations, users, and devices worldwide.
The Expanding Threat Landscape
Every day, Microsoft's customers endure more than 600 million cyberattacks, targeting individuals, corporations, and critical infrastructure. The rise in cyber threats is driven by the convergence of cybercriminal and nation-state activities, further accelerated by advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Monitoring over 78 trillion signals daily, Microsoft tracks activity from nearly 1,500 threat actor groups, including 600 nation-state groups. The report reveals an expanding threat landscape dominated by multifaceted attack types like phishing, ransomware, DDoS attacks, and identity-based intrusions.
Password-Based Attacks and MFA Evasion
Despite the widespread adoption of multifactor authentication (MFA), password-based attacks remain a dominant threat, making up more than 99% of all identity-related cyber incidents. Attackers use methods like password spraying, breach replays, and brute force attacks to exploit weak or reused passwords1. Microsoft blocks an average of 7,000 password attacks per second, but the rise of adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) phishing attacks, which bypass MFA, is a growing concern.
Blurred Lines Between Nation-State Actors and Cybercriminals
One of the most alarming trends is the blurred lines between nation-state actors and cybercriminals. Nation-state groups are increasingly enlisting cybercriminals to fund operations, carry out espionage, and attack critical infrastructure1. This collusion has led to a surge in cyberattacks, with global cybercrime costs projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.
The Role of Microsoft in Cyber Defense
Microsoft's unique vantage point, serving billions of customers globally, allows it to aggregate security data from a broad spectrum of companies, organizations, and consumers. The company has reassigned 34,000 full-time equivalent engineers to security initiatives, focusing on enhancing defenses and developing phishing-resistant MFA. Additionally, Microsoft collaborates with 15,000 partners with specialized security expertise to strengthen the security ecosystem.
