IAB involvement in cybercrime expands, report finds

Cyberattacks over the past two years have increasingly involved initial access brokers as state-sponsored threat operations and advanced hacking groups seek to expedite intrusions while mitigating operational risk, reports Cybersecurity Dive.

Organizations in the government, healthcare, education, and transportation industries have seen a surge in IAB activity from 2023 to 2024, with IAB attacks in healthcare increasing by almost 600% during the same period, according to a Check Point analysis. IABs have also gained traction among nation-state hackers amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

"IAB activity is no longer a peripheral criminal phenomenon but a force multiplier in the broader offensive ecosystem, one that directly supports espionage, coercive operations, and potential disruption of U.S. government and critical infrastructure networks," said Check Point, which urged policymakers to regard deterrence, resilience, and accelerated cyberattack recovery as key national security capabilities, akin to standard defense planning.