Research
Report: Endpoint Malware and Ransomware in First Three Quarters of 2021 Topped All of 2020
A new Internet Security Report from global network security and intelligence provider WatchGuard Technologies found that endpoint malware and ransomware attacks during the first three quarters of 2021 totaled more than in all of 2020.
The report, highlighting malware trends and network security threats for Q3 2021, is based on analyses by WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers. “While total perimeter malware detection volume decreased from the highs reached in the previous quarter, endpoint malware detections have already surpassed the total volume seen in 2020 (with Q4 2021 data yet to be reported),” WatchGuard said in a news release, also noting that “a significant percentage” of malware continues to arrive over encrypted connections, a trend noted in previous quarters.
“While the total volume of network attacks shrank slightly in Q3, malware per device was up for the first time since the pandemic began,” said Corey Nachreiner, chief security officer at WatchGuard. “Looking at the year so far as a whole, the security environment continues to be challenging. It’s important that organizations go beyond the short-term ups and downs and seasonality of specific metrics, and focus on persistent and concerning trends factoring into their security posture.”
Notable findings from the report include:
Nearly Half of Zero-Day Malware Delivered Via Encrypted Connections: The percentage of malware that arrived via Transport Layer Security jumped from 31.6% to 47%. “A lower percentage of encrypted zero-days are considered advanced, but it is still concerning given that WatchGuard’s data shows that many organizations are not decrypting these connections and therefore have poor visibility into the amount of malware hitting their networks,” the report states.
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