LATEST INTELLIGENCE
PRESENTED BY
2017: STATE OF
MALWARE REPORT
I
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n 2016, we finally saw the headlines
catch up with the hype. Cyberattacks
and cybersecurity, or a lack thereof,
grabbed media attention on both the
corporate and consumer sides, even
becoming a key issue in the US presidential
election. In this respect, you could say
that everyone, even those who have never
logged on, was affected by cyberattacks and
hacking in 2016.
Ransomware rises to the top, targets
businesses
In 2016, ransomware grabbed headlines,
and for good reason. While traditional
malware such as banking Trojans, spyware,
and keyloggers requires the cybercriminal
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INTELLIGENTCIO
to oversee multiple steps before revenue is
delivered to their bank account, ransomware
makes it a seamless, automated process.
Script kiddies (hackers with little or no coding
skills) can even buy turnkey ransomware
kits known as “Ransomware as a Service”
(RaaS) that take all the hassle out of digital
thievery. In the fourth quarter of 2016
alone, we cataloged nearly 400 variants of
ransomware, the majority of which were
created simply by a new criminal group trying
to get a piece of the pie.
The trend of ransomware is not new, however,
as we’ve watched distribution grow over the last
two years and have observed specific families
rise to the top of the cybercrime market.
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