By Kemunto Ogutu
Nairobi, Kenya: Online bullies are getting bolder and more sophisticated by increasingly targeting high-profile victims, a leading global cybersecurity report says.
In their 2023 Annual Cybersecurity Report, experts from Trend Micro, a leading guru in this field note that criminals are opting for quality over quantity, seeking higher returns from fewer, more valuable targets.
The report details that the firm, Trend Micro, blocked approximately 37 million email threats, and over half a million malicious Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).
The study adds that during the same period, more than one million malicious mobile apps directed at Kenyan businesses and consumers were also saved from falling victims. This shift indicates that cybercriminals are opting for quality over quantity, seeking higher returns from fewer, more valuable targets.
URLs is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the Internet. It is also referred to as a web address.
“Our latest data shows that threat actors are fine-tuning their operations, shifting away from large-scale attacks, and instead focusing on a smaller range of targets but with higher victim profiles for maximum gain with minimum effort,” says Gareth Redelinghuys, Country Managing Director for the African Cluster at Trend Micro during a recent media interview.
While Trend Micro blocked hundreds of ransomware attacks in Kenya last year, the overall trend shows a decrease in the number of such attacks. However, the nature of these attacks has evolved, becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect.
As they prioritize the top caliber targets, the cybercriminals use advanced techniques to evade detection, such as Living-Off-The-Land Binaries and Scripts, which utilize non-malicious files native to operating systems to camouflage their activities.
Global ransomware detections have seen a significant drop from 2021 to 2023, averaging less than half the detections recorded in 2020. However, this decline should not lead to complacency among security teams, as the reduction in volume does not equate to a reduction in threat severity.
The report also highlights an increase in Trojan FRS threats globally, suggesting that attackers are becoming more adept at bypassing initial detection measures. In 2023, several ransomware families exploited remote and intermittent encryption, as well as unmonitored virtual machines, to bypass Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems. By using less content during encryption, these attacks minimize the chance of triggering detection mechanisms.
Prominent ransomware groups such as Clop and BlackCat were particularly active last year. Clop exploited major vulnerabilities, while BlackCat launched a new variant and leveraged regulatory requirements to pressure victims into quicker responses.
Email threats in Kenya have also seen a shift towards more sophisticated methods. Although email threat detections decreased from over 66 million in 2021 to 37 million in 2023, the rise in malware detection suggests a strategic shift by attackers. Rather than indiscriminately targeting large numbers of users, cybercriminals are now conducting more targeted operations, such as Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes, which are designed to appear legitimate and evade scrutiny.
“IT leaders must refine their processes and protocols to combat these persistent and increasingly sophisticated attacks with efficiency,” urged Zaheer Ebrahim, Solutions Architect for the Middle East and Africa at Trend Micro.
“As attacks become more difficult to detect, the cost of successful breaches will rise,” added Zaheer.
Trend Micro is a global cybersecurity leader dedicated to making the world safe for the exchange of digital information. With a robust platform that protects millions of individuals and thousands of organizations across various environments, Trend Micro leverages decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation to deliver advanced threat defense techniques optimized for clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints.
