VIPRE Security Group unveils its Q1 2024 Email Threat Trends report, offering critical insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape based on an analysis of 1.8 billion emails. Discover the latest trends in email-based threats and strategies employed by malicious actors.

1. Top Spam Sources and Targeted Countries:

   • The US, UK, Ireland, and Japan emerge as top sources of spam emails globally.
   • The US, UK, and Canada are the countries most subjected to email-based attacks.

2. Targeted Sectors:

   • The manufacturing sector experiences a significant increase in email-based attacks, surpassing government and IT sectors.
   • Scams within the spam category surpass phishing emails in popularity, with a notable increase in phishing attempts masquerading as HR communications.

3. Phishing Trends and Techniques:

   • Phishing emails predominantly leverage links for URL redirection, compromised websites, and newly created domains.
   • Emerging phishing tactics include the use of .ics calendar invite and .rtf attachment file formats.

4. Malware Trends:

   • Malicious links in malspam emails are increasingly preferred over attachments, with malware hidden in cloud storage platforms like Google Drive.
   • Pikabot emerges as the top malware family, replacing Qakbot.

5. Exploiting Vulnerabilities:

   • Cybercriminals exploit web application vulnerabilities, particularly Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and hijack NTLM authentication threads for unauthorized access.
   • Vigilance and robust email and endpoint defenses are crucial to combatting these relentless attacks.

Stay ahead of evolving cyber threats with insights from VIPRE's Q1 2024 Email Threat Trends report. Equip your organization with the knowledge and defenses needed to safeguard against sophisticated email-based attacks and ensure a secure digital environment. Access the full report for comprehensive insights into the latest cybersecurity landscape.