Returning to work after the holiday period is an appropriate moment to review the main trends that characterize today’s cyber threats. Discover five cybercrime trends.
After all, staying ahead of cybercrime trends is an integral part of the fight against malicious agents: on the one hand, by consumers and businesses, who need to continue to increase their defenses; On the other hand, from experts like ESET, who provide advanced cybersecurity solutions.
Recent European reports whether from EuropolEither from the British Security Services Agency National Crime Agency (NCA), provides a valuable glimpse into the current threat landscape for IT workers and consumers in Europe. From “ranked” countries with organized cybercrime groups, to the fraud epidemic, to the normalization of cybercrime, there are many reasons for us to stay alert – and protected.
5 trends in cybercrime that must be taken into consideration.
#1 – Countries associated with cybercriminals
State-sponsored activities and cybercrime were, for years, two very different areas. The first revolves around cyber espionage and/or destructive attacks designed to advance geopolitical and military objectives. The second, more simply, focused on making money.
#2 – Data theft is fueling the fraud epidemic
In the UK, fraud currently accounts for 40% of all crime, with three quarters of adults targeted in 2022, whether over the phone, in person or online, according to the National Crime Agency. This is partly due to the constant stream of compromised data hitting dark web marketplaces. Europol goes further, noting that data is the “essential commodity” of the cybercrime economy, fueling extortion (such as ransomware), social engineering (such as phishing) and much more.
#3 - The same victims are often the target of multiple attacks
The way underground cybercrime networks currently operate means that even organizations that have just been attacked may not be able to breathe a sigh of relief that the worst is over.
Today, cybercriminals sell multiple threat actors access to the same organizations. This means that the same set of compromised corporate credentials could be circulated between multiple threat actors, Europol says.
#4 – Phishing is still surprisingly effective
Phishing has been a major threat vector for many years and continues to be a major means of obtaining logins and personal information, as well as covertly spreading malware. Europol says it remains popular and effective because humans remain the weakest link in the security chain.
The widespread use of phishing tools helps automate and degrade less technically capable cybercriminals, while ESET was recently discovered In the case "Telekopye". Europol also warns that generative AI tools are already being used to create fake videos and write more realistic phishing messages.
5. Criminal behavior is becoming increasingly normalized among young people
Dark web sites have always been a place for trading not only stolen data and attack tools, but also knowledge.
According to Europol, this situation currently persists, with users seeking and receiving recommendations on how to avoid detection and how to make their attacks more effective. Tutorials, FAQs, and how-to guides provide assistance with fraud campaigns, money laundering, child sexual exploitation, phishing, malware, and more.
Perhaps most worrying is the fact that underground websites and forums – some of which operate on the “surface” internet – are also being used to recruit young people, according to Europol. Young people are particularly vulnerable to: a 2022 report Europol reports that 69% of young Europeans have committed at least one form of cybercrime, harm or risk taking online, including money laundering and digital piracy.
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