Check Point Software Research reports that the Dridex trojan, which is often used in the initial stages of ransomware attacks, has now dropped from the index after being one of the most prevalent malwares in recent months
SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Check Point Software Research (CPR), the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software ® Software AG Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, has published its latest Global Threat Index for May 2021. CPR reports that Trickbot, which first entered the list in April 2019, has now taken the top spot, while the established Dridex trojan has dropped off altogether after being one of the most popular malwares in recent months amidst a global surge in ransomware. While it’s not yet known why Dridex has fallen from the list, recent reports indicate that the Evil Corp gang, which is well known for distributing Dridex, has rebranded and shifted its approach to evade US treasury department sanctions.
Taking first place in the index is Trickbot, which is a botnet and banking Trojan that can steal financial details, account credentials, and personally identifiable information, as well as spread within a network and drop ransomware, particularly Ryuk. It is constantly being updated with new capabilities, features and distribution vectors, which enables it to be a flexible and customizable malware that can be distributed as part of multi-purpose campaigns. Trickbot gained popularity after the takedown of the Emotet botnet in January, and made fresh headlines this week as the US Justice Department charged a Latvian woman for her role in creating and deploying the Trickbot malware.
Since the beginning of 2021, CPR has seen a significant increase in the volume of cyberattacks towards enterprises. When comparing to May 2020 CPR has seen an increase of 70% in the number of cyberattacks in the Americas, while EMEA presents a 97% increase compared to May 2020, and APAC sees a staggering 168% year on year increase.
“There have been a lot of talks about the recent increase in ransomware attacks, but we are actually seeing a huge surge in the number of cyberattacks in general. It is a significant and troubling trend,” said Maya Horowitz, Director, Threat Intelligence & Research, Products at Check Point Software . “It’s reassuring to see that charges have been filed in the fight against Trickbot, this month’s most prevalent malware, but clearly there is still a long way to go. Organizations need to be aware of the risks and ensure adequate solutions are in place, but also remember that attacks cannot only be detected, they can also be prevented, including zero-day attacks and unknown malware. With the right technologies in place, the majority of attacks, even the most advanced ones can be prevented without disrupting the normal business flow.”
CPR also revealed that “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” is still the most common exploited vulnerability, affecting 48% of organizations globally, followed by “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-13756)” which impacts 47.5% of organizations worldwide. “MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution” ranks in third place in the top exploited vulnerabilities list, with a global impact of 46%.
Top malware families
*The arrows relate to the change in rank compared to the previous month.
This Month, Trickbot becomes the most popular malware with a global impact of 8% of organizations, followed by XMRig and Formbook impacting 3% of organizations worldwide each.
Top exploited vulnerabilities
This month “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” is the most common exploited vulnerability, impacting 48% of organizations globally, followed by “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-13756)” which impacts 47.5% of organizations worldwide. “MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution” takes third place in the top exploited vulnerabilities list, with a global impact of 46%.
Top mobile malwares
This month xHelper takes first place in the most prevalent mobile malware, followed by Triada and Hiddad.
Check Point Software ’s Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point Software ’s ThreatCloud intelligence, the largest collaborative network to fight cybercrime which delivers threat data and attack trends from a global network of threat sensors. The ThreatCloud database inspects over 3 billion websites and 600 million files daily, and identifies more than 250 million malware activities every day.
The complete list of the top 10 malware families in May can be found on the Check Point blog.
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About Check Point Software Research
Check Point Software Research (CPR) provides leading cyber threat intelligence to Check Point Software Software AG customers and the greater intelligence community. The research team collects and analyzes global cyber-attack data stored on ThreatCloud to keep hackers at bay, while ensuring all Check Point Software solutions are updated with the latest protections. The research team consists of over 100 analysts and researchers cooperating with other security vendors, law enforcement and various CERTs.
About Check Point Software Software AG Technologies Ltd.
Check Point Software Software AG Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to governments and corporate enterprises globally. Check Point Software Infinity´s portfolio of solutions protects enterprises and public organisations from 5th generation cyber-attacks with an industry leading catch rate of malware, ransomware and other threats. Infinity comprises three core pillars delivering uncompromised security and generation V threat prevention across enterprise environments: Check Point Software Harmony, for remote users; Check Point Software CloudGuard, to automatically secure clouds; and Check Point Software Quantum, to protect network perimeters and datacenters, all controlled by the industry’s most comprehensive, intuitive unified security management. Check Point Software protects over 100,000 organizations of all sizes.
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