The year 2023 has brought with it a host of new challenges and threats for the telecommunications and streaming media industries. As these sectors continue to expand and innovate, they have become even more vulnerable to a range of cyber threats. From ransomware attacks and data breaches to identity theft and phishing scams, the stakes have never been higher for telcos and streaming media companies.
In this blog, we'll delve into the 2023 state of the threat for telcos and streaming media businesses—and explore some key findings and data points to help these industries stay ahead of the curve and protect themselves and their customers against the emerging threats of today.
Threat Intelligence for Telecom and Streaming Media
In the current digital landscape, cyberattacks have become an ever-increasing threat to businesses worldwide. Arkose Labs is at the forefront of combating these attacks, collaborating with a vast global network of customers to provide anonymized threat intelligence sourced from over 4.1 billion IP addresses annually. With a database of over 4,000 patterns of fraudulent activities, we are equipped to identify and mitigate various types of cyber threats.
In 2022, Arkose Labs looked at the attacks that happened in different industries, how many attacks there were, and what kind of attacks were used. By analyzing these trends, we aim to provide businesses with the necessary insights and tools to strengthen their security measures and stay ahead of emerging threats.
Following an in-depth analysis of billions of user sessions conducted by leading corporations around the world, we have uncovered a plethora of potential threats that emerged between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. Our comprehensive report on the 2023 current state of threat report provides a detailed account of these risks and offers valuable insights into the sectors that are most vulnerable to cyberattacks and bot-driven threats.
In our ongoing analysis of the current state of cyber threats, we recently explored the challenges facing the industries of ecommerce and financial services. Now, we are shifting our focus to telcos and streaming media, leveraging data-driven insights from the Arkose Labs Global Network™ to predict what lies ahead for these industries in the realm of cybercrime. By examining the latest trends and emerging threats, we aim to uncover the obstacles faced by telcos and streaming media, and, more importantly, identify effective strategies to overcome them. Our goal is to equip businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape and stay ahead of today’s evolving threats.
Telco vs. Streaming Media
The telecommunications industry and the streaming media world share many use cases; however, they are also different in several ways. Telco companies provide communication services such as phone, internet, and television services, while streaming media companies offer on-demand video and audio content that is delivered over the internet. Telco companies typically own the infrastructure necessary to deliver these services, including networks, cables, and satellites. Streaming media companies, on the other hand, generally rely on third-party networks to deliver their content to consumers.
Another key difference between the two industries is the type of services they offer. Telco companies primarily provide communication services, while streaming media focuses on providing entertainment services. Telcos provide essential communication services between individuals and businesses, while streaming media services are meant to be consumed for leisure and entertainment purposes.
Also, telco and streaming media companies face different types of risks and challenges. Telco companies are vulnerable to cyber threats, including hacking, data breaches, and network outages. Streaming media companies, on the other hand, face challenges related to content delivery, copyright infringement, and licensing agreements.
Telco and Streaming Media Face Similar Threats
Despite these differences, telcos and streaming media organizations are interconnected as more people use the internet to consume entertainment content and communicate with each other. Telecom and streaming media companies also face similar cyberattacks, such as:
- DDoS Attacks: Both telco and streaming media companies are vulnerable to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which aim to overwhelm their servers and make their services unavailable to users.
- Phishing: Cybercriminals often use phishing attacks to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card details, from both telco and streaming media customers.
- Account Takeover: Hackers may try to take over user accounts on telco or streaming media platforms, allowing them to access personal information or make unauthorized purchases.
- Malware: Telco and streaming media companies can both fall victim to malware attacks, which may infect their systems and steal or damage data.
- Credential Stuffing: Cybercriminals may attempt to gain access to telco or streaming media accounts using lists of stolen login credentials obtained from other data breaches.
It is important for both telco and streaming media companies to implement strong security measures to protect against these types of cyberattacks and stay vigilant in monitoring for potential threats.
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Telco and Streaming Media Face Shifting Attacks
According to our network on cyber threats, telcos and streaming media companies were heavily targeted in 2022, with 9 out of 10 attack attempts being Account Takeover (ATO) fraud. Interestingly, while automated bot attacks decreased by 35% in the second half of the year, attacks originating from human fraud farms rose by more than 300%.
This finding indicates a shift in the tactics employed by cybercriminals, with a growing preference for human-driven attacks that can bypass automated defenses. As telcos and streaming media companies continue to face these evolving threats, it is imperative that they adopt a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity that includes both automated and human-driven defenses.
While human-driven attacks are on the rise, automated bot attacks still constitute a significant portion of overall cyber threats. According to our data, almost two-thirds of attack attempts were carried out by malicious bots, not sweatshops, making them the most commonly used tactic by cybercriminals. These automated attacks are particularly challenging to detect and defend against, as they can launch multiple simultaneous attacks with incredible speed and efficiency.
Protecting Telco and Streaming Media from Threats
Telcos and streaming media companies can combat evolving cyber threats and adopt a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity by implementing the following strategies:
- Conduct regular risk assessments: A risk assessment is a process of identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities in an organization's systems and infrastructure. By conducting regular risk assessments, telcos and streaming media companies can stay updated on the latest threats and implement appropriate security measures to mitigate them.
- Implement automated security solutions: Automated security solutions such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and antivirus software can help detect and block cyber threats in real-time. These solutions can also provide valuable insights into the nature and severity of threats, enabling companies to respond quickly and effectively.
- Develop a strong incident response plan: In the event of a cyber attack, it is essential to have a well-defined incident response plan in place. This plan should include clear procedures for detecting, containing, and resolving security incidents, as well as guidelines for communicating with stakeholders, including customers and regulators.
- Invest in employee training and awareness: Human error is often a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, so it is essential to invest in employee training and awareness programs. These programs can help employees understand the importance of cybersecurity best practices such as password management, phishing awareness, and safe browsing habits.
- Engage third-party security experts: Telcos and streaming media companies can benefit from engaging third-party security experts to help identify and address potential vulnerabilities. These experts can provide a fresh perspective and bring specialized knowledge and expertise to the table.
By adopting a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity that combines automated and human-driven defenses, telcos and streaming media companies can better protect their systems, data, and customers from evolving cyber threats.
Arkose Labs for Telco and Streaming Media
Empower your security and fraud teams with Arkose Labs' platform for telcos and streaming media, designed to identify and eliminate large-scale, persistent attacks. Our cutting-edge system uses real-time risk classifications powered by multi-faceted machine learning and 24/7 analysis from a Security Operations Center.
Our "clear box" approach delivers actionable insights with transparent risk classifications and a clear path to remediation, setting us apart from black box solutions that provide only probabilistic risk scores. Our unique combination of risk classification and dynamic attack response applies the right amount of pressure to the attack signature while minimizing disruptions to legitimate users. Say goodbye to resource-intensive integration and authentication workflows and say hello to effective and efficient protection against cyberattacks.
At the heart of the Arkose Labs platform is an AI-driven decision engine that processes real-time signals and leverages deep historical intelligence to orchestrate a precise and targeted attack response. Our system constantly learns from real-time assessments and challenge interaction data to detect evolving attack techniques while ensuring that legitimate users can pass through seamlessly.
By harnessing the power of AI, we can provide advanced protection against cyber attacks while minimizing disruptions to your user experience. With Arkose Labs, you can rest assured that your business is protected against the latest threats, both known and emerging.
Discover more threat intelligence in our new eBook: Bad Bots & Beyond: 2023 State of the Threat Report
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