Overall, when compared to 2015, 2016 has seen a 76 percent increase in mobile banking Trojans -- Sanjay Katkar, Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer, Quick Heal
Boston, Mass. (PRWEB) November 30, 2016
Quick Heal Technologies announced results of its third quarter Threat Report today. The free report, now available on the Quick Heal website, reveals a startling increase in vulnerabilities on the Android platform and a 33 percent rise in mobile ransomware. The report also found a slight decrease in Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA) and Adware, dropping by three percent and 12 percent respectively.
Quick Heal Labs studies and identifies emerging threats on a 24/7/365 basis and publishes quarterly research reports to provide insights into ways that organizations can be better protected from ever-growing cyber threats and data loss vulnerabilities. The company’s Seqrite line of cloud-enabled IT security solutions, which recently received high ratings from two of the leading independent testing labs—AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives—provides comprehensive endpoint security and data loss protection for small to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in North America and across major global markets.
Following are the most significant report findings:
- Compared to Q2, there was a 14 percent increase in the detection count of malware on Windows-based computers.
- Total malware detection throughout Q3 2016 numbered well over three million, pointing to still unresolved security issues in the Windows operating system. The Android platform also continues to show extreme vulnerability with malware detection growing 158 percent in Q3.
- Mobile ransomware rose 33 percent in Q3, as compared to Q2 of 2016.
- Detection of mobile banking Trojans has also increased steadily, rising 25 percent in Q3 as compared to Q2 of 2016.
- Overall, when compared to 2015, 2016 has seen a 76 percent increase in mobile banking Trojans.
Quick Heal points out key Windows and Android trends and predictions in the Q3, 2016 Threat Report:
- Ransomware: Ransomware variants will grow, and advanced variants of families such as Locky / Zepto will be a challenge for security products. Locky / Zepto ransomware will continue to be embedded in PDFs and other formats for wider dissemination. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) attacks may increase due to “user friendliness” and availability. CrypMIC is another ransomware family that is expected to hit its targets with new variants and sophisticated propagation techniques. In 2017, new ransomware attacks are expected to rise because CrypMIC has proven to be highly robust and the most profitable malware of its kind so far.
- Adware: Attackers have broadened their scope of attacks with the help of adware. Strategies are changing from showing only ads to stealing information and developing destructive capabilities, such as ransomware infections. Hackers may hook Adware or Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) into running genuine processes, making it difficult for installed security software to trace their presence in the infected system.
- Rise in Android vulnerabilities: Given the explosive rate at which security vulnerabilities are being detected on Android devices, attackers are going to ramp up their attacks on Android users. Moreover, as smartphones continue to replace desktops and laptops as portable “data banks,” hackers will continue to use them as easy targets.
- Payment system and banking malware threats will rise: Quick Heal’s Q1 threat report predicted a rise in the detection of banking malware, which has come to fruition. While banks embrace the mobile domain to simplify banking for their customers, this may be a risky strategy. Cyber criminals are taking advantage of this trend, and of organizations and consumers who are not taking their digital security seriously.
“The findings in our most recent report are not surprising in the least,” said Sanjay Katkar, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer of Quick Heal. “As predicted, bad actors are continuing to take advantage of Android and Windows users and the businesses, especially financial organizations, that depend on these platforms to support daily business processes. We will continue to emphasize the importance of taking extreme cyber security measures to protect company assets, and also to warn consumers that they may be an unwitting mark if they don’t protect themselves as well. Our best advice is to not become complacent. Cyber criminals are banking on inevitable complacency and will take advantage of lapses in security protections.”
Download the complete report here for more details.
About Seqrite
Seqrite is the enterprise IT security brand of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. The comprehensive Seqrite data security product line targets small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) and is designed to simplify security management across endpoints, mobile devices, servers and networks. For more information on the Quick Heal Seqrite Partner Program, please contact 855-978-6117, email us at us.sales@Seqrite.com or visit the Quick Heal partner page. For more information on Quick Heal, visit http://www.quickheal.com.
About Quick Heal Technologies Limited
Quick Heal Technologies Limited is a leading global provider of IT security solutions for the consumer and enterprise markets, with award-winning products that support a wide range of operating systems and devices. Since its incorporation in 1995, more than 24.5 million Quick Heal product licenses have been installed in more than 80 countries. Quick Heal is headquartered in Pune, India and maintains 64 offices worldwide including subsidiaries in the U.S., Japan, UAE and Kenya.
