In 2023, malicious email threats bypassing secure email gateways increased by more than 100%, according to Cofense.
In just two years, Cofense identified over 1.5 million malicious emails bypassing their customers' SEGs, signaling a 37% increase in threats compared to 2022, and a staggering 310% increase over 2021.
To put this in context, the report highlights that Cofense detected at least one malicious email bypassing their customers' SEGs every 57 seconds.
With the increasing frequency and severity of email attacks, it is essential to train employees to identify and report malicious emails, while deploying solutions to identify and remediate threats that are actively bypassing SEGs.
The report points out that secure email gateways struggle to keep pace with sophisticated phishing campaigns and relying on 'good enough' email security is no longer an option for most enterprises.
The report highlights that email remains the primary attack vector for cybercrime, with 90% of data breaches originating from phishing attacks aimed at employees.
Secure email gateways are struggling to keep pace with the rapidly evolving nature of phishing campaigns, evidenced by a concerning 104.5% increase in the number of malicious emails bypassing SEGs in 2024.
Credential phishing, the preferred method of threat actors, also saw a staggering 67% increase in volume compared to the previous year.
In 2023 Cofense saw an increase in tactics like vishing, smishing, brand impersonation, and QR code phishing that bypass SEGs.
Cofense reported a 331% increase in QR code active threat reports last year.
Healthcare and finance remained the top targeted industries - Increases in malicious emails bypassing SEGs in those industries at 84.5% and 118%, respectively.
Brand impersonation and vishing campaigns are on the rise, with threat actors exploiting these tactics to deceive employees.
These attacks are efficient at bypassing SEGs, as they often lack attachments or obvious links.
A persistent threat throughout 2021 and 2022, Snake Keylogger remained a significant risk in 2023.
As we go into 2024, its ability to evade detection by antivirus software makes it a concerning threat to organizations.
A consistent threat, FormBook is an information-stealer malware focused on accessing sensitive information from infected systems.
Businesses are urged to proactively safeguard against this pervasive threat.
This malware is known to infect computer systems through malicious emails that trick unsuspecting users into opening it.
Cofense reports a 1,092% increase in Google AMP emails bypassing secure email gateways in the last six months of 2023.
BEC remains one of the most devastating cybercrimes, with scammers exploiting conversational-based phishing attacks.
This Cyber News was published on www.helpnetsecurity.com. Publication date: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 05:13:07 +0000