Data breaches, leaks, ransomware attacks, digital extortion, and state-sponsored attacks continued to be a persistent concern throughout the year, impacting both the public and private sectors. Several significant incidents highlighted vulnerabilities in data security and the evolving tactics of cybercriminals.

One notable trend involved attacks targeting third-party integrations, as seen in the breaches affecting Salesforce. While Salesforce itself was not directly compromised, attackers successfully accessed data by breaching Salesforce contractor integrations, including those of Gainsight and Salesloft. Google's Threat Intelligence Group reported in August that some Google Workspace data was compromised as part of the breach of Salesloft's Drift platform, a sales and marketing tool. This incident, though not a direct hack of Google Workspace, underscored the risks associated with interconnected digital ecosystems and the potential for supply chain attacks.

The breaches occurred at various points throughout the year, impacting an unknown number of users and organizations. The method of attack varied, but often involved exploiting vulnerabilities in the security protocols of the third-party vendors. The motivations behind these attacks are believed to be primarily financial, with stolen data potentially sold on the dark web or used for extortion.

Security experts have emphasized the need for organizations to conduct thorough risk assessments of their third-party vendors and implement robust security measures to protect against supply chain attacks. This includes regularly auditing vendor security practices, implementing multi-factor authentication, and encrypting sensitive data.

The incidents involving Salesforce integrations are still under investigation, and the full extent of the damage remains unclear. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for increased regulation of data security practices and greater transparency in the event of a breach. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued guidance to organizations on how to mitigate the risk of supply chain attacks, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and information sharing.