Acronis Report: 464% Surge in Email Attacks – Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape

In the fast-evolving field of cybersecurity, cybercriminals are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to exploit vulnerabilities. A significant emerging threat combines artificial intelligence (AI) with email phishing, presenting a formidable challenge.

Acronis, a key cybersecurity player, released its Mid-Year Cyberthreats Report, “From Innovation to Risk: Managing AI-driven Cyberattacks.” Drawing on data from over a million global endpoints, the report sheds light on the dynamic cybersecurity landscape. It highlights a concerning trend: the growing use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, by cybercriminals to orchestrate sophisticated attacks through the creation of malicious content.

The report unveils a surge in ransomware attacks targeting large and medium-sized businesses. However, small and medium-sized enterprises face a particularly high risk of email-based phishing. This method involves stealing login credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. In June 2023, email-based phishing attacks spiked by 464%, with a noteworthy 24% growth rate per organization compared to the previous year.

Candid Wüest, Acronis VP of Research, emphasized, “The volume of threats in 2023 has escalated compared to last year, indicating that criminals are scaling and enhancing their methods to compromise systems and execute attacks. Organizations need agile, comprehensive, and unified security solutions to understand and efficiently remediate any threat, whether it’s malware, system vulnerabilities, or anything in between.”

To enhance their tactics, cybercriminals have harnessed AI to create malware and exploit existing ransomware code. This enables them to infiltrate victims’ systems more effectively and extract sensitive data. AI-generated malware adeptly evades detection in traditional antivirus models, contributing to the significant rise in ransomware cases over the past year. Acronis’ analysis of endpoint data highlights that some attacks have become more intelligent, sophisticated, and challenging to detect.

The report highlights cyber attackers’ fast evolution, using automation for custom malicious code at a rapid pace. The malware’s average lifespan increased from 2.1 to 2.3 days, showing dynamic threats.

The report also identifies the top ransomware gangs responsible for a significant portion of attacks, with LockBit at 49%, followed by Royal at 19%, BlackCat/ALPHV at 13%, Clop at 12%, and Play at 7%. Notably, the United States faced 48% of these cyber attacks.

Acronis emphasizes the critical role of proactive cyber protection measures in establishing a robust cybersecurity posture. A comprehensive defense strategy is essential, involving multiple layers of security such as anti-malware, EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response), DLP (Data Loss Prevention), email security, vulnerability assessment, patch management, RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management), and robust backup capabilities.

To counter ransomware and data theft risks, organizations must embrace advanced security solutions utilizing AI, machine learning, and behavioral analysis. These solutions significantly enhance threat detection and response, safeguarding against the ever-evolving tactics of cybercriminals.

Acronis recently unveiled an EDR platform for Cyber Protect Cloud, serving both managed service providers and enterprises. This platform detects anomalous user behavior and events, working alongside existing security technologies to tackle sophisticated cyber threats. It offers optimized incident analysis and an intuitive interface for easy navigation. Furthermore, Acronis is exploring the integration of generative AI into the platform in the future.

Cybersecurity is not just about protecting technology; it’s also about safeguarding the values we cherish—trust, privacy, and freedom. Investing in strong cybersecurity fosters innovation, secures data, and unlocks the full potential of our digital future.