Report: Majority of malware downloads in 2021 had been traced to cloud apps

In keeping with a brand new report by Netskope, greater than two-thirds of malware downloads got here from cloud apps in 2021.

Analyzing adjustments within the malware panorama in 2021, the report highlights that attackers are having fun with extra success abusing cloud apps to ship malware payloads to their victims. For instance, in Q2 2020, Netskope noticed a sudden spike in malicious Workplace paperwork pushed primarily by Emotet, which launched a large-scale and extremely efficient mal-spam marketing campaign that delivered malicious Workplace paperwork utilizing well-liked cloud apps. Since then, copycat teams have continued to abuse Workplace paperwork to ship malware, and the amount of malicious paperwork stays excessive above pre-Emotet ranges.

Credential assaults towards managed cloud apps proceed on the similar fee as 2020, however with a shift within the sources of the assaults. The highest supply of credential assaults in 2020 had been a number of heavy hitters accountable for quite a few login makes an attempt. In 2021, nevertheless, credential assaults got here from a a lot bigger variety of sources, every accountable for fewer login makes an attempt.

Lastly, Netskope analyzed a special sort of knowledge threat — insider threats. In 2021, Netskope noticed customers leaving their jobs at twice the speed of 2020. Customers leaving the group pose a severe information safety threat, with a couple of out of each seven folks utilizing private cloud storage apps to take information with them once they go away. The report examines how cloud storage apps’ total reputation amongst customers is a major driver for his or her look on the high of the malware obtain and insider risk leaderboards.

Learn the full report by Netskope.