This fourth annual report shares learnings from an in-depth analysis of more than 600,000 real-world malware samples and identifies the most common techniques leveraged by attackers.
Its insights help prioritize defensive actions against commonly used techniques.
Evolving tactics challenge detection and response: 70% of malware analyzed now employ stealth-oriented techniques by attackers, particularly those that facilitate evading security measures and maintaining persistence in networks.
Invisibility at the forefront of evasion: There was a 150% increase in the use of T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information.
This highlights a trend toward hindering the effectiveness of security solutions and obfuscating malicious activities to complicate the detection of attacks, forensic analysis, and incident response efforts.
The ransomware saga continues: There was a 176% increase in the use of T1071 Application Layer Protocol, which are being strategically deployed for data exfiltration as part of sophisticated double extortion schemes.
To combat Hunter-killer malware and stay ahead of 2024 malware trends, Picus is urging organizations to embrace machine learning, protect user credentials, and consistently validate their defenses against the latest tactics and techniques used by cybercriminals.
Between January 2023 and December 2023, Picus Labs, the research unit of Picus Security, analyzed 667,401 unique files, with 612,080 categorized as malicious.
Sources of these files include but are not limited to commercial and open-source threat intelligence services, security vendors and researchers, malware sandboxes, malware databases, and forums.
From these files, a total of 7,754,801 actions were extracted, an average of 13 malicious actions per malware.
These actions were then mapped to 7,015,759 MITRE ATT&CK techniques, an average of 11 techniques per malware.
To compile the Picus Red Report 2024 Top Ten, Picus Labs researchers determined the number of malicious files that used each technique.
They then calculated the percentage of malware in the dataset that utilized that technique.
The T1055 Process Injection technique was used in 195,044 of the 612,080 malicious files analyzed.
Picus Security helps security teams consistently and accurately validate their security posture.
Our Security Validation Platform simulates real-world threats to evaluate the effectiveness of security controls, identify high-risk attack paths to critical assets, and optimize threat prevention and detection capabilities.
As the pioneer of Breach and Attack Simulation, we specialize in delivering the actionable insights our customers need to be threat-centric and proactive.
Picus has been named a 'Cool Vendor' by Gartner and is recognized by Frost & Sullivan as a leader in the Breach and Attack Simulation market.
This Cyber News was published on www.darkreading.com. Publication date: Thu, 15 Feb 2024 21:40:11 +0000