Armis, the asset intelligence cybersecurity firm, warns that the 2024 global elections could be a prime target for cyber-attacks by nation-state actors. The company’s data predicts that these actors could effectively cause mass disruptions. Further, a substantial number of organisations and governments around the world are reportedly underprepared to defend against such cyberwarfare attacks.

The warnings were part of the findings from Armis' second annual global cyberwarfare report, 'The Invisible Front Line: AI-Powered Cyber Threats Illuminate the Dark Side'. The report points to a critical threat level from sophisticated nation-state actors, most notably from China, Russia, and North Korea.

Nadir Izrael, co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) at Armis made a stark warning, saying, “In the biggest global election year in history, democracy is the primary target of nation-state threat actors. Make no mistake - we are in a cyber arms race against our adversaries, and society as we know it is at risk. It's essential that we immediately shift from a reactive to a proactive, defensive stance before it’s too late."

According to the report, 39% of global IT leaders suspect that cyberwarfare could influence the integrity of an electoral process, while 42% believe it could target the media. These suspected targets unveil a risk to the sanctity of the electoral process, potentially shaking public trust. If successful, these cyberwarfare attacks could destabilise economies and severely damage commercial and societal systems.

An additional finding revealed that 60% of IT leaders reported that digital transformation projects have halted or completely stopped due to cyberwarfare risks. Simultaneously, cyber-criminals continue to innovate, using artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced cyber capabilities.

Izrael further added, “Relying on legacy technologies and manual security processes is the equivalent of bringing a knife to a gunfight, given the threats we're up against. It is critical that security leaders fight fire with fire, leveraging AI-powered solutions that empower them with actionable intelligence before a vulnerability is announced, before an attack is launched and before their organisation is impacted. Forewarned is forearmed."

Likewise, Evan Thomas, Channel Director, ANZ at Armis, emphasised the increasing risks to Australia and New Zealand’s infrastructure and society due to regular targeted cyberattacks. He suggested that "Cyber awareness and readiness must remain at the top of every organisation’s list of strategic priorities, as should the deployment of AI-powered technology that enables security teams to stop nation-state attacks before they impact an organisation."

Armis Centrix, an AI-based system for actionable threat intelligence, uses a combination of dark web, dynamic honeypots and human intelligence to foresee threats, understand their probable impact, and take preventive actions to neutralise them.

'The Invisible Front Line: AI-Powered Cyber Threats Illuminate the Dark Side' is based on a survey of over 2,600 global IT decision-makers, as well as proprietary data from Armis Labs.