Email security threats are on the rise once again – are you safe?
According to new research from Trend Micro, the number of security threats coming through email is on the rise once again.
The company’s latest report, based on data from products that complement native security with platforms such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, says that more than 33.6 million blocked cloud email threats were blocked in 2021 — up from the previous year. 101% increase.
Last year, the biggest jump was seen for emails containing previously unknown malware – 221%. Among known malware, email security services blocked 3.3 million malicious files, up 134% compared to 2020. For phishing, 16.5 million attacks were blocked, representing an increase of 138% year-on-year. Credential phishing attacks increased 15% to 6.3 million.
ransomware on the decline
The silver lining in the news is the drop in ransomware detection. The report noted that year over year, the number of ransomware declined by 43%, with the authors suggesting that the more targeted ransomware attacks may have something to do with it. In addition, Trend Micro got better at blocking some of the more popular ransomware associated devices, it said.
Ransomware aside, business email compromise (BEC) detection also dropped by 11%, but only for threats identified with the help of traditional tools. Trend Micro’s AI-powered writing style analysis feature helped detect 83% more BEC threats, suggesting scammers may be more sophisticated.
For Trend Micro, this is a clear indication that email remains the most popular attack vector for threat actors targeting endpoints everywhere.
“Every year we see innovation and corporate attack surface growth across threat landscapes, but every year email remains a major threat to organizations,” said John Clay, the company’s vice president of threat intelligence.
“The best shot defenders have is to reduce these risks by taking a platform-based approach, shedding a powerful light on threats, and providing streamlined prevention, detection and response without limits.”