Ransomware is on a winning streak. And businesses, big and small, are on the verge of losing it all. Over the past year, cybercriminals have sunk to new lows to steal a bit of data and a lot of money. Throughout 2023 (and up to today), we鈥檝e seen a profound strategic shift in adversarial tactics, with hackers exploiting trusted tools and targeting critical industries like healthcare.听
Drawing from data collected from the millions of endpoints and user entities under our watch, our cybersecurity experts documented the alarming trends, patterns, and tactics they observed to compile our 2024 Cyber Threat Report.听
Below, we provide a brief overview of our findings on ransomware. But, of course, we have far more to say on the matter. If you鈥檇 like to go more in depth, we encourage you to read the complete report.
Since at least 2008, Qakbot鈥攁 notorious malware distribution and control network鈥攈ad wreaked havoc upon its victims, which ranged from financial institutions to medical device manufacturers to critical infrastructure. But in late-August 2023, the FBI spearheaded a multinational operation that , marking the largest U.S.-led action against a botnet.
The good news was short lived, however. In the wake of Qakbot, cybercriminals quickly adapted existing strains or simply developed new ones to go after businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. In fact, we鈥檝e seen an increase in ransomware attacks specifically aimed at small businesses and managed service providers (MSPs), which attackers often exploit as entry points to larger networks.
Qakbot was the dominant strain of malware used by initial access brokers up until it was brought down. Then, something of a power vacuum emerged, and from August to September 2023, there were dramatic increases in activities from:
Qakbot, not surprisingly, wasn鈥檛 gone for long. It re-emerged within months, but in its brief absence, the floodgates were opened to more ransomware variants and affiliates.听
Our 2024 Cyber Threat Report notes, 鈥淲hile emerging Qakbot variants remain relatively unchanged, their emergence is a strong signal that, like in similar circumstances, threat actors will attempt to capitalize on existing knowledge and investment in the face of defender activity.鈥
The past year revealed one inconvenient truth: no one is immune to cyberattacks. Cybercriminals, unfortunately, haven鈥檛 stopped devising clever, new ways to breach your defenses. And it doesn鈥檛 look like they鈥檒l stop any time soon.听
That鈥檚 why we published our 2024 Cyber Threat Report. It gives you an inside look at the most notable trends and tactics hackers are using to target organizations of all sizes. It鈥檚 a valuable resource that鈥檒l equip you with the knowledge you need to identify and counter the many risks you鈥檙e now up against. By staying informed on adversarial strategies, you can strengthen your cybersecurity defenses and protect yourself more effectively.
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