Work-from-home (WFH) has resulted in exponentially greater attack surfaces from cybercriminals, armed with powerful cloud-based tools, cloud storage and endless targets, according to the 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report.
“As working environments evolved, so did the methods of threat actors and other motivated perpetrators,” says the report.
It goes on to highlight that Covid-19 provided threat actors with ample opportunity for more powerful, aggressive and numerous attacks, thriving on the fear and uncertainty of remote and mobile workforces navigating corporate networks from home.
Says Ruan du Preez, business development manager at official SonicWall distributor, Drive Control Corporation (DCC): “SonicWall’s 2021 Cyber Threat Report highlights an alarming reality; threats that were once thought to be two or three years away are now a reality.
“Easy-to-develop, cloud-based tools are creating platoons of cybercriminals armed with the same devastating force and impact as larger criminal enterprises. More than ever, organisations must fortify their cybersecurity posture to thwart these onslaughts.”
Key 2021 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report findings include:
* Threat actors are weaponising cloud storage and advanced cloud-based tools to create record ransomware attack effectiveness and volume;
* Ransomware soars with a 62% increase since 2019;
* SonicWall research shows the shift to employees WFH could be directly linked to the increased utilisation of Office files and PDFs as malicious vehicles armed with phishing URLs, embedded malicious files and other dangerous exploits. New SonicWall data indicates a 67% increase in malicious Office files in 2020, while malicious PDFs dropped by 22%;
* 268 362 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants in 2020, a 74% year-on-year increase;
* Cryptojacking shows three-year high thanks to rising cryptocurrency values and its appeal of concealed payouts. Total cryptojacking for 2020 set records with 81,9-million hits, a 28% increase from last year’s 64,1-million total;
* IoT malware rises 66% as criminals continue to leverage Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers recorded 56,9-million IoT malware attempts, a 66% increase that showed shifting tactics for lurking cybercriminals; and
* Retail, healthcare and government face mounting ransomware volume.