Kaspersky has announced in its Security Bulletin that, in 2021, the company’s detection systems discovered 380,000 new malicious files per day, a 5.7% increase compared to 2020. The growth correlates with the continuous rise in the number of devices used worldwide, among other factors.
Kaspersky’s detection systems discovered an average of 380,000 new malicious files daily over the past 12 months, an increase of 20,000 over the previous year. Traditionally, most threats (91%) occurred via WindowsPE files, a file format specific to Windows operating systems. However, in 2021 cybercriminals started spreading threats associated with the Linux operating system more actively than ever before. As a result, the number of detected Linux malware and unwanted software grew by 57%.
Growth of Trojan Droppers
More than half (54%) of the threats detected by Kaspersky’s systems comprised unspecified Trojans. While many types of threats saw a decrease in volume in 2021 compared to 2020, Trojan Droppers grew by 2.24% compared to 2020. This type of malware is particularly dangerous since these programs are designed to deliver other, more sophisticated malware to a victim’s device. There was also a noticeable increase in the number of worms detected (117.5%), with their share reaching nine percent. These programs can self-replicate and propagate independently once they breach the system. Finally, viruses grew by 27%, increasing their share to 10%.
“Throughout the past year, we discovered 20,000 more malicious files per day compared to the previous year,” said Denis Staforkin, a security expert at Kaspersky. “This was not unexpected – online activity is still at its height due to remote working being adopted worldwide. Furthermore, the major shift to online operations also means more devices are being used worldwide. That leads to a wider attack surface and, subsequently, wider exposure to threats. Therefore, improving digital literacy and keeping their security solutions up to date are two extremely important tasks for users today.”
These findings are part of Kaspersky Security Bulletin (KSB), an annual series of predictions and analytical reports on key shifts within the cybersecurity world.
To stay protected, Kaspersky also recommends that users:
- Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources.
- Do not click on any links from unknown sources or suspicious online advertisements.
- Create strong and unique passwords, including a mix of lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and punctuation, as well as activating two-factor authentication.
- Always install updates. Some of them may contain critical security issue fixes.
- Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office or cybersecurity software.
- Use a robust security solution appropriate to your system type and devices, such as Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Security Cloud. It will tell you which sites shouldn’t be open and protect you from malware.
To stay safe, Kaspersky recommends that organizations:
- Always keep software updated on all the devices you use to prevent attackers from infiltrating your network by exploiting vulnerabilities.
- Establish the practice of using strong passwords to access corporate services. Use multi-factor authentication for access to remote services.
- Choose a proven endpoint security solution such as Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business that is equipped with behavior-based detection and anomaly control capabilities for effective protection against known and unknown threats.
- Use a dedicated set for effective endpoint protection, threat detection and response products to timely detect and remediate even new and evasive threats. Kaspersky Optimum Framework includes the essential set of endpoint protection empowered with EDR and MDR.