Most malware in Q1 2020 was delivered via encrypted HTTPS connections

67% of all malware in Q1 2020 was delivered via encrypted HTTPS connections and 72% of encrypted malware was classified as zero day, so would have evaded signature-based antivirus protection, according to WatchGuard.

These findings show that without HTTPS inspection of encrypted traffic and advanced behavior-based threat detection and response, organizations are missing up to two-thirds of incoming threats. The report also highlights that the UK was a top target for cyber criminals in Q1, earning a spot in the top three countries for the five most widespread network attacks.

“Some organizations are reluctant to set up HTTPS inspection due to the extra work involved, but our threat data clearly shows that a majority of malware is delivered through encrypted connections and that letting traffic go uninspected is simply no longer an option,” said Corey Nachreiner, CTO at WatchGuard.

“As malware continues to become more advanced and evasive, the only reliable approach to defense is implementing a set of layered security services, including advanced threat detection methods and HTTPS inspection.”

Monero cryptominers surge in popularity

Five of the top ten domains distributing malware in Q1 either hosted or controlled Monero cryptominers. This sudden jump in cryptominer popularity could simply be due to its utility; adding a cryptomining module to malware is an easy way for online criminals to generate passive income.

Flawed-Ammyy and Cryxos malware variants join top lists

The Cryxos trojan was third on a top-five encrypted malware list and also third on its top-five most widespread malware detections list, primarily targeting Hong Kong. It is delivered as an email attachment disguised as an invoice and will ask the user to enter their email and password, which it then stores.

Flawed-Ammyy is a support scam where the attacker uses the Ammyy Admin support software to gain remote access to the victim’s computer.

Three-year-old Adobe vulnerability appears in top network attacks

An Adobe Acrobat Reader exploit that was patched in August 2017 appeared in a top network attacks list for the first time in Q1. This vulnerability resurfacing several years after being discovered and resolved illustrates the importance of regularly patching and updating systems.

Mapp Engage, AT&T and Bet365 targeted with spear phishing campaigns

Three new domains hosting phishing campaigns appeared on a top-ten list in Q1 2020. They impersonated digital marketing and analytics product Mapp Engage, online betting platform Bet365 (this campaign was in Chinese) and an AT&T login page (this campaign is no longer active at the time of the report’s publication).

COVID-19 impact

Q1 2020 was only the start of the massive changes to the cyber threat landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in these first three months of 2020, we still saw a massive rise in remote workers and attacks targeting individuals.

Malware hits and network attacks decline. Overall, there were 6.9% fewer malware hits and 11.6% fewer network attacks in Q1, despite a 9% increase in the number of Fireboxes contributing data. This could be attributed to fewer potential targets operating within the traditional network perimeter with worldwide work-from-home policies in full force during the pandemic.

from Help Net Security https://ift.tt/37Xxd7Q

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