JavaScript attachments led to an explosion of malicious message volume, which was up 230% quarter over quarter, according to the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based security firm Proofpoint's analysis of Q2 2016 threats and trends.
In Proofpoint's Quarterly Threat Summary, researchers also revealed the volume of malicious JavaScript attachments reached levels that have never been seen before, peaking at hundreds of millions of messages a day and representing a threat that outsmarts most security teams and manual processes by far.
In addition, ransomware is back in a big way with new variants and techniques emerging regularly. Highly personalized campaigns are being deployed at scales of tens to hundreds of thousands of messages compared to the much smaller targeted campaigns used previously.
Other findings from Proofpoint's report included the following:
- Among the email attacks that used malicious document attachments, 69% featured the new Locky ransomware in Q2, versus 24% in Q1.
- Eighty percent of consumers experienced at least one business email compromising phishing attack in the last month. Attackers changed their lures based on seasonal events such as tax reporting.
- Exploit kits compromised as many as 10 million Android devices.
- Ninety-eight percent of mobile malware is still associated with the Android platform.
- Social media phishing attempts rose by 150%.
Can your cybersecurity strategy handle an attack? Do you have the latest tools and techniques to prevent fraud and data breaches?
Get them at our two-day conference Fraud: Don't Let It Happen To Your Credit Union Oct. 11-12 at the Sheraton Dallas. Plus you'll also learn strategies for responding in the immediate aftermath and best practices for restoring reputation, financial stability and information security. Save $150 and Register Now!
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to CUTimes.com, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited CUTimes.com content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking credit union news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Shared Accounts podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the commercial real estate and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, GlobeSt.com and ThinkAdvisor.com
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Roy Urrico
Roy W. Urrico specializes in articles about financial technology and services for Credit Union Times, as well as ghostwriting, copywriting, and case studies. Also: writer/editor of a semi-annual newsletter for Association for Financial Technology since 1997 and history projects funded by the U.S Interior Department, National Park Service and Warren County (N.Y.).
