Microsoft Digital Defense Report: every second there are 921 hacking attempts in the world

Amit Kumar Jha
Microsoft Digital Defense Report every second there are 921 hacking attempts in the world
Microsoft Digital Defense Report every second there are 921 hacking attempts in the world

Microsoft warns that hacking attempts have increased by 74% in the last year, which shows the risk to which users are exposed on the Internet

Microsoft revealed that 921 hack attempts are currently being logged every second in the world . The number reflects the increase in attacks aimed at gaining access to user accounts on a wide variety of platforms.

The number is part of a report published by the company's digital defense unit, in which they detail that the number of cases represents an increase of 74% compared to the previous year .

This is one of the reasons that has led the giants of the technology industry, including Microsoft, Apple and Google, to work together to create a new system that allows users to access their accounts without the need to of a password . In this way, they intend to eradicate the possibility that hackers can exploit vulnerabilities that lead them to gain access to the accounts of their victims.

“As long as passwords are still part of the equation, they're going to continue to be vulnerable,” said Joy Chik, Microsoft's vice president of identity.

Recommendations to avoid being hacked victims

The Microsoft report also offers a list of recommendations prepared by cybersecurity experts that can help users avoid falling victim to computer attacks.

The first of these and perhaps the most repeated by experts is that people have to avoid the practice of repeating usernames and passwords on multiple platforms . This is because if one of these platforms is violated, this makes it easier for hackers to access them and therefore your personal information.

Online services where it is most important to avoid this is in those such as email, finance and social networks. In this sense, Chris Pierson, founder and executive director of BlackCloak, a cybersecurity firm, explains that the best thing a user can do is modify this information in a methodical and leisurely manner, giving priority to those that pose a greater security risk.

“Don't change all the passwords you have. Focus on the highest risk, highest damage accounts,” she states.

Another recommendation in order to avoid having to remember each of the passwords that a person uses is to resort to a password manager, which in addition to generating a secure password is also responsible for protecting it.

Finally, they highlight the importance of enabling two-step authentication as it provides an additional security layer that can be the difference between an online service account being hacked or not.