Cybercrime isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s getting faster, more aggressive, and increasingly professional — and if you’re still relying solely on native security tools, you're already behind.
The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) paints a clear picture: the pathways criminals use to break into systems are no longer limited to brute force or opportunistic attacks. They’re exploiting vulnerabilities, targeting human error, and abusing trusted email communications — and businesses of all sizes are feeling the impact.
So, what does this mean for you & your clients? Especially if you're an IT partner, managed service provider, or internal security leader. It means your clients and organisations need to think differently about email security, and that starts in the cloud.
The Breach Landscape in 2024: A Wake-Up Call
In its 2024 report, Verizon analysed 30,458 incidents and confirmed 10,626 breaches — the highest number recorded in DBIR history. The culprits are no surprise: financially motivated attackers using sophisticated, scalable tactics designed to slip past standard defenses.
Some critical takeaways from the report:
- Ransomware and Extortion dominate: A combined 32% of breaches involved ransomware or extortion, with ransomware appearing in 92% of industry verticals. Median ransom-related losses hit US$46,000, with some cases exceeding US$1 million.
- Phishing works — fast: The median time it takes for a user to click a phishing link and enter data is under 60 seconds. And yes, phishing still overwhelmingly starts via email.
- Credential misuse is rampant: Stolen login details remain one of the top entry points into organisations, especially via cloud-based web applications.
- Human error is still a problem: A full 68% of breaches involved a human element — from sending sensitive emails to the wrong recipient to falling for business email compromise (BEC) scams.
- Zero zero-day attacks are on the rise: Exploitation of vulnerabilities nearly tripled year-over-year — up 180% — with MOVEit-like zero zero-day exploits giving attackers a clear path into systems via web-facing apps and services.
- Third-party and supply chain breaches are growing: 15% of breaches originated from partner infrastructure or third-party software — a 68% increase.
Email: The Most Trusted, and Most Abused Communication Channel
It’s no coincidence that the most successful cyberattacks still start with email. It’s a system built on trust — and that’s exactly why threat actors love it. Whether it’s credential phishing, CEO fraud, invoice scams, or malware delivery, email continues to be the entry point of choice for attackers.
Even with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace in place, attackers are slipping through the cracks. Native defenses were never designed to stop highly targeted, zero zero-day email threats in real time — and the DBIR confirms this. One accidental click, one clever spoof, one missed signal — and the damage is done.
Source: 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report
Gone in 60 Seconds!
The report finds that in controlled user-testing phishing simulations, 20% of users reported phishing and 11% of users who also click reported. More concerning, is that the median time to click a malicious link after the email is opened is just 21 seconds, and a mere 28 seconds later the victim of the scam has disclosed their data. Sensitive credentials are lost in less than a minute, exposing business systems, infrastructure and data to bad actors.
Source: 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report
Cybercrime is Big Business
And, while some clients may think that their business is unlikely to be targeted by the much-hyped nation-state sponsored bad actors, or by a nasty kid in their bedroom looking to do harm, the report also finds that the vast majority of attacks continue to be perpetrated by sophisticated organised crime groups.
Speaking about nation-state sponsored attackers, the Verizon DBIR states, that 'for the average organization, they are less likely to target run-of-the mill enterprises as often as your everyday, garden-variety criminal. On a different note, End-user (that is, an average employee or contractor of an organization) has grown a lot, more than doubling from 11% to 26%.'
The Case for Cloud-Based Email Security
If you're advising clients, running a security operations team, or overseeing infrastructure for a mid-sized organisation, here’s what matters most: resilience.
An advanced cloud-based email security specialist (like MailGuard) offers the layered protection modern businesses need — not just spam filtering, but advanced proprietary AI & ML-powered email threat detection, with real-time custom phishing modules to detect zero zero-day attacks. The goal? Prevent attacks before they reach the inbox.
Here’s why this approach works:
- Proactive vs. Reactive: Traditional gateways and native filters act after the fact. Cloud-based tools identify and stop threats in transit — even fast-breaking 'zero zero-day' ones not yet known to signature-based systems.
- No admin overhead: Most cloud-based email security solutions operate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, meaning no hardware or software updates, and minimal configuration.
- Always up to date: Cloud-based systems update in real-time as new threats emerge — giving your clients an edge against 'zero zero-day' vulnerabilities and emerging attack patterns.
- Visibility and control: Centralised dashboards, reporting, and logs provide actionable insights for partners and internal teams. That’s critical for auditing, compliance, and incident response.
- Designed for the cloud: With remote work and hybrid environments now the norm, perimeter-based security is no longer enough. Email protection must follow users wherever they go.
For Partners and Security Professionals: This Is a Business Opportunity
IT partners and resellers are in a unique position to add value and increase recurring revenue by delivering security-as-a-service. Cloud-based email security can be deployed quickly, delivered as a managed service, and bundled with broader security offerings.
For internal security and risk teams, this is about mitigating business risk. When the board asks what’s being done about ransomware or phishing, you need a clear, measurable response — one that goes beyond “we use Microsoft Defender.”
Adding a best-of-breed cloud email security layer like MailGuard is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to elevate your risk posture — and the DBIR confirms why it’s no longer optional.
What Should You Do Next?
- Evaluate your clients current email security posture: Are threats still making it to inboxes? Are users still clicking? If so, it's time to augment their stack.
- Educate stakeholders: Use the DBIR data to show the board or leadership that cybercrime is increasing in frequency, sophistication, and cost — and that email is a top vector.
- Choose cloud-native solutions: Look for platforms that integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, providing 'zero zero-day' protection, and that are built with scalability in mind.
- Layer security where it counts: Remember, cyber resilience is not about one tool. It’s about layers — and email deserves a dedicated layer.
Final Thoughts
The Verizon DBIR 2024 offers a sobering view into the evolving cyber threat landscape. Phishing, ransomware, and vulnerability exploits aren’t just persistent — they’re growing. Businesses can't afford to treat email security as a checkbox exercise. It’s a frontline defense — and it requires serious tools.
Don’t wait for a breach to justify an upgrade.
Keeping Businesses Safe and Secure
Prevention is always better than a cure, and one of the best defences is to encourage businesses to proactively boost their company’s cyber resilience levels to avoid threats landing in inboxes in the first place. The fact that a staggering 94% of malware attacks are delivered by email, makes email an extremely important vector for businesses to fortify.
No one vendor can stop all email threats, so it’s crucial to remind customers that if they are using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, they should also have a third-party email security specialist in place to mitigate their risk. For example, using a specialist third-party cloud email solution like MailGuard.
For a few dollars per staff member per month, businesses are protected by MailGuard's specialist, zero zero-day email security. Special Ops for when speed matters! Our real-time zero zero-day, email threat detection amplifies your client’s intelligence, knowledge, security and defence.
MailGuard provides a range of solutions to keep businesses safe, from email filtering to email continuity and archiving solutions. Speak to your clients today to ensure they’re prepared and get in touch with our team to discuss fortifying your client’s cyber resilience.
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