The information technology (IT) and communications sector was the most targeted industry globally in 2021, according to new data from Darktrace.

The data shows that the cybersecurity provider's artificial intelligence autonomously interrupted an average of 150,000 threats per week against the sector in 2021. The most common attempted break-in method was through email, with organizations in the sector receiving an average of 600 unique phishing campaigns a month in 2021.

The IT and communications sector includes telecommunications providers, software developers and managed security service providers, among others. In 2020, the most attacked industry monitored by the organization was the financial and insurance sector, showing that cybercriminals have shifted their focus over the last 12 months.

The findings of this research mark one year since the compromise of U.S. software company SolarWinds rattled the security industry. Over the last 12 months, there has been a continued spate of attacks against the IT and communications sector, including the high-profile attacks on Kaseya and Gitlab.