Solving problems is better than fearmongering

W
elcome to the TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter. It’s inspired by the daily TechCrunch+ column where it gets its name. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.

From cybersecurity to SaaS for restaurants, the key to running a successful business is selling a product that solves your clients’ real problems. — Anna

2022 in cybersecurity

Cybercriminals had a pretty busy 2022, recent findings show. According to the annual report from Israeli cybersecurity company Perception Point, there was 356% growth globally in advanced phishing attacks attempted by malicious actors.

What’s scary to me is how often these attacks take advantage of the weakest link: us humans. For instance, the report shows an 83% year-on-year growth in attempts at business email compromise (BEC).

“In these attacks,” the report explains, “cybercriminals use fake emails to impersonate legitimate businesses and request large sums of money or confidential data from employees or business associates.”