Milipitas, Calif., Oct. 29, 2020: SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers have said in their third-quarter threat intelligence that year-to-date findings through September 2020 showed that the growing use of ransomware, encrypted threats and attacks leveraging non-standard ports, but overall malware volume declined for the third consecutive quarter.
“For most of us, 2020 has been the year where we’ve seen economies almost stop, morning commutes end and traditional offices disappear,” said SonicWall President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Conner in a written statement. “However, the overnight emergence of remote workforces and virtual offices has given cybercriminals new and attractive vectors to exploit. These findings show their relentless pursuit to obtain what is not rightfully theirs for monetary gain, economic dominance and global recognition.”
SonicWall Capture Labs key findings include:
- 39 per cent decline in malware (4.4 billion YTD); volume down for third consecutive quarter
- 40 per cent surge in global ransomware (199.7 million)
- 19 per cent increase in intrusion attempts (3.5 trillion)
- 30 per cent rise in IoT malware (32.4 million)
- 3 per cent growth of encrypted threats (3.2 million)
- 2 per cent increase in cryptojacking (57.9 million)
Malware Volume Dipping as Attacks More Targeted, Diversified
While malware authors and cybercriminals are still busy working to launch sophisticated cyberattacks, SonicWall research concludes that overall global malware volume continues steadily decline in 2020. In a year-over-year comparison through the third quarter, SonicWall researchers recorded 4.4 billion malware attacks — a 39 per cent drop worldwide.
Ransomware Erupts, Ryuk Responsible for Third of All Attacks
SonicWall researchers tracked aggressive growth during each month of Q3, including a massive spike in September. While sensors in India (-29 pc), the U.K. (-32 pc) and Germany (-86 pc) recorded decreases, the U.S. saw a staggering 145.2 million ransomware hits — a 139 pc YoY increase.
Notably, SonicWall researchers observed a significant increase in Ryuk ransomware detections in 2020. Through Q3 2019, SonicWall detected just 5,123 Ryuk attacks. Through Q3 2020, SonicWall detected 67.3 million Ryuk attacks — a third (33.7 pc) of all ransomware attacks this year.
IoT Dependency Grows Along with Threats
COVID-19 led to an unexpected flood of devices on networks, resulting in an increase of potential threats to companies fighting to remain operational during the pandemic. SonicWall Capture Labs found a 30 pc increase in IoT malware attacks, a total of 32.4 million world-wide.
Most IoT devices — including voice-activated smart devices, door chimes, TV cameras and appliances — were not designed with security as a top priority, making them susceptible to attack and supplying perpetrators with numerous entry points.
SonicWall threat intelligence data also concluded that while cryptojacking (57.9 million), intrusion attempts (3.5 trillion) and IoT malware threats (32.4 million) are trending with first-half volume reports, they continue to pose a threat and remain a source of opportunity for cybercriminals.