Cybersecurity leaders are facing unprecedented challenges as attackers continue to innovate with advanced tools, complex infrastructures, and multi-layered threats. The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report offers a comprehensive view of how adversaries adapted their techniques in response to global security measures, revealing patterns that are both urgent and actionable for enterprises.
Compiled by Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 threat intelligence division, the 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report reflects real-world data collected across diverse industries and geographies. It gives organizations the intelligence required to defend against ransomware, credential abuse, cloud-based attacks, and targeted intrusions with strategic accuracy.
Ransomware-as-a-Service Reshapes the Threat Landscape
The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report highlights the rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) as a dominant force in cybercrime. This business model lowers the barrier to entry for attackers while expanding the reach of ransomware campaigns.
Key findings include:
Over 60% of ransomware attacks originated from RaaS platforms
Affiliates operated independently, leveraging tools provided by core developers
Threat actors targeted data centers, backup systems, and cloud environments
Double and triple extortion tactics became the norm, with data leaks and DDoS as pressure strategies
The report emphasizes the need for layered defenses, including immutable backups, ransomware-aware EDR, and rapid response protocols.
Credential Misuse Remains the Primary Attack Vector
According to the 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report, attackers continued to prioritize credential theft as their go-to strategy for gaining initial access. The combination of phishing, social engineering, and credential stuffing proved to be highly effective.
Techniques observed:
Stealing session cookies to bypass MFA
Harvesting login credentials via lookalike SaaS portals
Leveraging leaked password databases in credential stuffing attacks
Exploiting weak or shared admin accounts for lateral movement
The report underscores the importance of enforcing strong password hygiene, using adaptive authentication, and implementing real-time credential monitoring.
Cloud Misconfigurations Lead to Critical Exposures
Cloud infrastructure continues to grow in complexity, and the 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report shows that this complexity often translates to misconfigurations that attackers exploit at scale.
Common cloud missteps in 2022:
S3 buckets publicly exposed due to incorrect permissions
Orphaned workloads and underutilized instances remaining unpatched
Overly permissive IAM policies granting admin-level access
Insecure containers and Kubernetes clusters vulnerable to control-plane attacks
Security leaders are encouraged to use automated cloud configuration audits, container scanning, and enforce least-privilege access in all cloud environments.
Targeted Campaigns Against Healthcare, Education, and Critical Infrastructure
The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report reveals a surge in targeted attacks aimed at sectors that are often under-protected but critically important. These campaigns are tailored to cause maximum disruption and extract high-value ransoms.
Sector-specific insights:
Healthcare: Attacks targeting patient data, IoT devices, and hospital systems
Education: Ransomware hitting school districts and universities mid-term
Utilities: OT networks probed for disruption and intelligence gathering
Manufacturing: IP theft and supply chain disruption targeting production environments
The report recommends building vertical-specific threat profiles and investing in resilience plans across vulnerable sectors.
Living-Off-the-Land Attacks Go Mainstream
Traditional malware is increasingly being replaced with attacks that abuse legitimate tools. The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report identifies a sharp uptick in “living-off-the-land” (LotL) tactics, which allow attackers to operate invisibly within enterprise environments.
Common LotL techniques:
Use of WMIC, PowerShell, and PsExec for remote execution
Abuse of legitimate RMM tools like ConnectWise and AnyDesk
Scheduled task manipulation for persistence
Log evasion by modifying audit policies and disabling telemetry
These tactics evade most antivirus solutions, reinforcing the need for behavior-based threat detection and privileged activity logging.
Initial Access Brokers Fuel a Booming Cybercrime Economy
The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report calls out the vital role of Initial Access Brokers (IABs) in modern cyberattacks. These actors compromise systems and sell access to ransomware gangs, espionage groups, and cyber extortionists.
IAB behavior in 2022:
Selling access credentials on dark web forums
Using phishing kits to mass-collect enterprise logins
Reselling RDP access to networks across multiple verticals
Targeting MSPs and cloud providers as attack amplifiers
Enterprises must monitor for compromised credentials in dark web markets and invest in deception technologies to trap IABs early.
Software Supply Chains: The New Cyber Battleground
Threat actors have learned that compromising one software vendor can yield hundreds of downstream victims. The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report outlines how attackers weaponized software supply chains to great effect in 2022.
Supply chain attack vectors:
Code injection in open-source packages
Dependency confusion attacks in enterprise CI/CD pipelines
Trojanized updates from compromised third-party vendors
Malware planted in signed applications and installers
The report stresses the need for digital code signing, vulnerability tracking in third-party components, and software bill of materials (SBOM) governance.
Phishing Evolves into a Sophisticated Ecosystem
The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report describes a transformation in phishing campaigns. Attackers now use cloud services, automation, and personalized lures to bypass traditional defenses.
Notable phishing trends:
QR phishing embedded in PDF invoices
OAuth abuse in phishing apps to steal tokens
Use of legitimate services like SharePoint and OneDrive to host payloads
BEC (Business Email Compromise) campaigns spoofing C-suite executives
Organizations are advised to deploy behavioral email security tools, conduct user training, and simulate real-world phishing attempts.
OT Environments Remain an Attractive Target
Operational Technology (OT) environments are increasingly vulnerable as they converge with IT infrastructure. The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report warns that attackers are focusing on critical industrial environments where downtime can have catastrophic effects.
Top OT attack concerns:
Lateral movement from IT into OT segments
Exploitation of insecure industrial protocols like Modbus and DNP3
Lack of segmentation between operational layers
Deployment of wiper malware in SCADA environments
Segmenting IT and OT networks, deploying OT-specific intrusion detection, and auditing access controls are essential countermeasures.
Strategic Actions Based on Threat Intelligence
The 2022 Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report goes beyond identifying threats by offering practical guidance for building stronger, more resilient enterprises.
Key recommendations:
Integrate Extended Detection and Response (XDR) across endpoints, networks, and cloud assets
Automate threat detection, triage, and remediation via SOAR platforms
Implement Zero Trust principles organization-wide
Adopt a threat-informed defense model using frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK
Ensure regular tabletop exercises and red team testing
These strategies allow organizations to shift from reactive to predictive security, using the insights from the report to future-proof their defenses.
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