EclecticIQ Retrospective on 2023 Cyber Landscape

This technical report provides an overview of the 2023 cyber landscape as analyzed by EclecticIQ’s Intelligence and Research team. It details the evolving tactics of Chinese state-sponsored cyber operations, highlighting their use of zero-day exploits and stealth techniques to target cloud environments. The report also discusses the significant role of artificial intelligence in reshaping cyber threats, with generative AI tools being integrated into the methodologies of threat actors, raising concerns about misinformation and cybersecurity. Additionally, it outlines the implications of hacktivism in global conflicts, where cybercriminal groups collaborate to support political causes, leading to disruptions of non-military targets. The report emphasizes the escalation of ransomware attacks driven by Cybercrime-as-a-Service, which allows less experienced criminals to execute complex attacks. It concludes with a review of predictions from the previous year, noting the rise of fake media and the impact of advanced machine learning algorithms on cybersecurity practices.