A couple of weeks ago, Trend Micro published a statistical report on the worldwide status of cyber threats and corresponding measures. Some startling numbers were part of the report, especially on the subject of ransomware.
For instance, the report indicates that nearly 44 percent of ransomware attacks in the first half of 2018 took place in Asian countries. Surprisingly, neither India or China, the countries with the largest number of internet users, have topped the list of Asian countries affected by the menace of cryptovirology. It’s Vietnamese users that account for eight percent of worldwide cryptovirological attacks this year. According to the report, small and medium-sized businesses have taken the brunt of ransomware activity in most of the cases.
The report also suggests that phishing is the most common method used by the operators to infiltrate the systems and deliver cryptovirological payloads. The report, however, hasn’t offered any statistics on ransomware removal measures taken up by the affected Vietnamese entities. Cybersecurity experts have suggested multiple reasons for the unprecedented occurrence of ransomware attacks in Vietnam.
- There is a strong possibility that the awareness regarding the nuances of social engineering tactics among the users is not sufficient enough to defuse the phishing attempts. It is really important to understand that successful phishing guarantees a successful ransomware hit in most cases.
- It is also possible that affected users might be yielding to the demands of cryptovirological operators and paying them money for ransomware removal.
BEC Attacks are Also on the Rise
The report also indicates that Business Email Comprise (BEC) attacks have increased in the first six months of 2018. BEC attacks also happen because of poor knowledge of employees regarding social engineering tactics. Experts at Trend Micro guesstimate that businesses have suffered over $12 billion of losses due to BEC attacks.
