Proofpoint 2016 malware report – Bigger, faster and more to come

The report is responsible reading and covers intelligence gathered from billions of emails, social media posts, and malware samples. Its conclusion, if a little understated are, “We continue to see sophisticated threats across three primary vectors: email, social media, and mobile.”

The key takeaways can best be described as bigger, faster and more. They include:

• Q4’s largest malicious email campaign was 6.7 times larger than the Q3’s biggest. Both campaigns used zipped JavaScript attachments distributing Locky, representing the rapid increases in Locky campaign volumes, especially those using compressed files and attached scripts instead of macro-laden documents.
• Hundreds of thousands of mobile devices were potentially exposed to malvertising, ad redirection, and potential attack vectors via DNSChanger EK. This didn’t rely on device vulnerabilities but rather SOHO router exploits that then exposed all connected devices via DNS redirection.
• 4500 mobile apps associated with the Summer Olympics and sponsor brands were risky or malicious. Threats in both the mobile and social spaces frequently track major events and popular phenomena; risky apps that potentially leak data are commonplace on both major mobile platforms.
• Fraudulent accounts across social channels increased by 100% from the third to fourth quarter of 2016. These accounts may be used for phishing, social spam, malware distribution, and more.
• Social media phishing attacks increased 500% from the beginning of 2016 to end of 2016. This includes angler phishing that intercepts customer support channels on social media.

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It is well known that cyber criminals follow the money – those attacks that yield the most return for the least effort.

Phishing still has cut through due to the human element and by increasing numbers, it increases return. Locky ransomware was the main payload (70%) delivered increasingly by malicious JavaScript attachments.

So too did business email compromise (BEC) attacks evolve as attackers found new ways to impersonate executives and trick victims into sending money or sensitive data. Proofpoint recorded a 62% reply to a spoofing email rate and a 37.1% to a display name that did not match the real email name – that is 99.1% who nearly got caught.

But the market for exploit kits (EK)—easy-to-use tools for exploiting Windows desktop and server system vulnerabilities – decreased too far lower than Q1 levels.

EKs targeting mobile devices and internet-of-things (IoT) devices such as home internet routers emerged, reflecting the growing availability of exploitable vulnerabilities in this emerging space.

Mobile had a “rapid evolution” in Q4 mainly in serving malvertising and gaining information. There is some evidence that an infected device can also infect a vulnerable home router resulting in desktop browser redirection, malvertising, and popups. The main danger is from fake apps and side-loading unauthorised apps.

Social media also saw rapid spikes in malicious activity around major events and popular trends. Negative, damaging, and malicious content increased dramatically on social channels. This activity included “angler phishing,” a term we use to describe attacks that involve fake customer-support accounts that trick people seeking help into handing over their login credentials and other information. These threats all demonstrate strong ROI for attackers.