SonicWall Capture
Labs threat researchers today unveiled third-quarter threat intelligence collected
by the company’s more than 1 million global security sensors. Year-to-date
findings through September 2020 highlight cyber criminals’ growing use of
ransomware, encrypted threats and attacks leveraging non-standard ports, while
overall malware volume declined for the third consecutive quarter.
“For most of us, 2020 has been the year where we’ve seen economies almost stop,
morning commutes end and traditional offices disappear,” said SonicWall
President and CEO Bill Conner. “However, the overnight emergence of remote
workforces and virtual offices has given cybercriminals new and attractive
vectors to exploit. These findings show their relentless pursuit to obtain what
is not rightfully theirs for monetary gain, economic dominance and global recognition.”
SonicWall Capture Labs key findings include:
-
39% decline in malware (4.4 billion YTD); volume down for third consecutive
quarter - 40% surge in global ransomware (199.7 million)
- 19% increase in intrusion attempts (3.5 trillion)
- 30% rise in IoT malware (32.4 million)
- 3% growth of encrypted threats (3.2 million)
- 2% increase in cryptojacking (57.9 million)
Malware Volume Dipping as Attacks More Targeted, Diversified
While malware authors and cybercriminals are still busy working to launch
sophisticated cyberattacks, SonicWall research concludes that overall global
malware volume continues steadily decline in 2020. In a year-over-year
comparison through the third quarter, SonicWall researchers recorded 4.4
billion malware attacks – a 39% drop worldwide.
Regional comparisons show India (-68%) and Germany (-64%) have once again seen
a considerable drop-rate percentage, as well as the United States (-33%) and
the United Kingdom (-44%). Lower numbers of malware do not mean it is going
away entirely. Rather, this is part of a cyclical downturn that can very easily
right itself in a short amount of time.
Ransomware Erupts, Ryuk Responsible for Third of All Attacks
Ransomware attacks are making daily headlines as they wreak havoc on
enterprises, municipalities, healthcare organizations and educational
institutions. SonicWall researchers tracked aggressive growth during each month
of Q3, including a massive spike in September. While sensors in India (-29%),
the U.K. (-32%) and Germany (-86%) recorded decreases, the U.S. saw a
staggering 145.2 million ransomware hits – a 139% YoY increase.
Notably, SonicWall researchers observed a significant increase in Ryuk
ransomware detections in 2020. Through Q3 2019, SonicWall detected just 5,123
Ryuk attacks. Through Q3 2020, SonicWall detected 67.3 million Ryuk attacks – a
third (33.7%) of all ransomware attacks this year.
“What’s interesting is that Ryuk is a relatively young ransomware family that
was discovered in August 2018 and has made significant gains in popularity in
2020,” said SonicWall Vice President, Platform Architecture, Dmitriy Ayrapetov.
“The increase of remote and mobile workforces appears to have increased its
prevalence, resulting not only in financial losses, but also impacting
healthcare services with attacks on hospitals.
“Ryuk is especially dangerous because it is targeted, manual and often
leveraged via a multi-stage attack preceded by Emotet and TrickBot malware.
Therefore, if an organization has Ryuk, it’s a pretty good indication that its
infested with several types of malware.”
SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), with patent-pending
Real-Time Deep Memory InspectionTM (RTDMI), protects against all Emotet,
TrickBot and Ryuk ransomware variants – in real time.
IoT Dependency Grows Along with Threats
COVID-19 led to an unexpected flood of devices on networks, resulting in an
increase of potential threats to companies fighting to remain operational
during the pandemic. SonicWall Capture Labs found a 30% increase in IoT malware
attacks, a total of 32.4 million world-wide.
Most IoT devices – including voice-activated smart devices, door chimes, TV
cameras and appliances – were not designed with security as a top priority,
making them susceptible to attack and supplying perpetrators with numerous
entry points.
“Employees used to rely upon the safety office networks provided, but the
growth of remote and mobile workforces has extended distributed networks that
serve both the house and home office,” said Conner. “Consumers need to stop and
think if devices such as AC controls, home alarm systems or baby monitors are
safely deployed. For optimum protection, professionals using virtual home
offices, especially those operating in the C-suite, should consider segmenting
home networks.”
SonicWall threat intelligence data also concluded that while cryptojacking
(57.9 million), intrusion attempts (3.5 trillion) and IoT malware threats (32.4
million) are trending with first-half volume reports, they continue to pose a
threat and remain a source of opportunity for cybercriminals.
