WatchGuard Threat Lab Report Finds Endpoint Malware Volumes

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SEATTLE, Oct. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity, today announced the findings of its latest Internet Security Report, detailing the top malware trends and network and endpoint security threats analyzed by WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers. Key findings from the research include 95% of malware now arriving over encrypted connections, a decrease in endpoint malware volumes despite campaigns growing more widespread, ransomware detections on the decline amid a rise in double-extortion attacks, older software vulnerabilities persisting as popular targets for exploit among modern threat actors, and more. 

“The data analyzed by our Threat Lab for our latest report reinforces how advanced malware attacks fluctuate in occurrence and multifaceted cyber threats continue to evolve, requiring constant vigilance and a layered security approach to combat them effectively,” said Corey Nachreiner, chief security officer at WatchGuard. “There is no single strategy that threat actors wield in their attacks and certain threats often present varying levels of risk at different times of the year. Organizations must continually be on alert to monitor these threats and employ a unified security approach, which can be administered effectively by managed service providers, for their best defense.” 

Among the most notable findings, the latest Internet Security Report featuring data from Q2 2023 showed:

  • Ninety-five percent of malware hides behind encryption. Most malware lurks behind SSL/TLS encryption used by secured websites. Organizations that don’t inspect SSL/TLS traffic at the network perimeter are likely missing most malware. Furthermore, zero day malware dropped to 11% of total malware detections, an all-time low. However, when inspecting malware over encrypted connections, the share of evasive detections increased to 66%, indicating attackers continue to deliver sophisticated malware primarily via encryption. 
  • Total endpoint malware volume is down slightly, though widespread malware campaigns increased.There was a slight 8% decrease in endpoint malware detections in Q2 compared to the previous…

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