Key Findings from the Webroot Threat Report: Mid-Year Update

This morning, endpoint protection and threat intelligence solution provider Webroot released the results of their Webroot Threat Report: Mid-Year Update. This report analyzes trends from the first half of 2018 to evaluate the digital threat landscape.

One of the key findings from this year’s Webroot Threat Report: Mid-Year Update is the official crowning of cryptomining as the top digital threat of 2018; this supplants ransomware, which long held the title. Other key findings include:

• 52% of digital threats in the first half of 2018 were malware based, including both cryptomining and ransomware.
• 35% of threats were cryptomining attacks.  
• By 2020, cryptomining attacks will consume 3% of the world’s electricity, according to Alex de Vries.
• Webroot customers attempt to visit malicious websites with cryptomining malware 3% of the time.
• Hackers are increasingly using Remote Desktop Protocols as an attack vector. Many are buying access to unsecured RDP on the Dark Web.
• Phishing saw a 60% increase within six months.  
• 17% of phishing emails posed as Dropbox.    

In a statement Tyler Moffitt, Senior Threat Research Analyst at Webroot, said: “Cybercriminals display an amazing ability to adapt to maximize their profits. Businesses need to adopt the same nimble mindset toward their cybersecurity. They need to continually reassess risks, adopt a multi-layered approach, and, ultimately, educate their employees about the latest threats on an ongoing basis.”  

Indeed, the Webroot Threat Report: Mid-Year Update did uncover evidence of enterprises seeing a vast improvement in their cybersecurity postures with proper employee training. Enterprises which ran 1 to 5 campaigns saw a 33% phishing attack click-through rate. Those running 11 or more only saw a 13% click-through rate.

You can more about the Webroot Threat Report: Mid-Year Update here.   

Other Resources: 

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