Google Research Reveals: Most 2024 Cyberattacks Funded by Governments, North Korea Leads the List

Google Research Reveals: Most 2024 Cyberattacks Funded by Governments, North Korea Leads the List

In a recent report released by Google, the tech giant has shed light on the global cyber threat landscape throughout 2024. Contrary to the popular image of lone hackers in dark basements, Google’s findings reveal that a significant portion of cyberattacks this year were state-sponsored—many even directly funded by national governments. The report specifically highlights the increasing use of zero-day vulnerabilities, which are software flaws unknown to developers and unpatched at the time of exploitation. According to Google’s data, 75 zero-day exploits were identified in 2024—a 23% drop from the 98 cases reported in 2023. However, while the overall number has declined, the nature of the attacks has grown more sophisticated and concerning. The majority of these attacks, Google notes, were carried out by hackers working under the direct support or control of state entities. Of the 75 recorded zero-day exploits, 23 were attributed to government-linked operations. Among these, 10 were defi…