LVRTC recorded 458 cyber attacks last year

RIGA - The Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) registered 458 cyber attacks in 2024, according to information published by the LVRTC.

Arturs Filatovs, head of the LVRTC Business Cyber Protection Unit, 898 cyber attacks were recorded in 2023, and the average number of attacks per month dropped from 112 to 40 last year. At the same time, the attacks recorded in 2024 were more concentrated and much stronger.

For example, the longest attack duration has decreased from 33 days in 2023 to 10 calendar days in 2024, but the volume has almost doubled, with the largest attacks reaching 145 gigabits per second (Gbps), compared to 83 Gbps in 2023.

Filatovs points out that this shows that attackers are putting more resources into fewer attacks, making them more devastating.

As in previous years, critical resources remain priority targets for attacks in 2024. As digital signature services become more important in various industries, their protection becomes more and more urgent.

Similarly, phishing remains one of the most effective tools for cyber criminals. In a phishing simulation service developed by the LVRTC, more than 9,100 phishing emails were sent to customer employees in 2024.

The service allowed organizations to assess the vigilance of their employees and their readiness to recognize cyber threats. Around 40 percent of recipients clicked on the links posted, and of these, around 80 percent entered sensitive data into the LVRTC's simulated email templates.

LVRTC is the main operator of the terrestrial broadcasting network for radio and television programs in the country. LVRTC manages the state-owned shares of the mobile operator Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT).