India's malware hits are up by 34%, 2nd highest globally: Report

Bengaluru: The newest report, researched and compiled by SonicWall Capture Labs, unveils an 11% increase in global malware, a 77% spike in IoT malware, a 132% rise in encrypted threats and a geographically-driven shift in ransomware volume as geopolitical strife impacts cybercriminal activity.

"In the cyber arms race, cybersecurity and geopolitics have always been inseparably linked, and in the last six months we have seen that play out across the cyber landscape," said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner.

"The cyber warfare battlefront has shifted, as our data indicates a 63% rise in ransomware in Europe and a concerted effort to target financial sector companies, while ransomware volume dropped in other regions. With major increases in encrypted threats, IoT malware, cryptojacking and new unknown variants, it's critical that cybersecurity leaders have all the required tools and technology to proactively detect and remediate against increasingly sophisticated and targeted threats to their business," he adds.

Malware Rebounds with 11% Global Spike

In 2021, malware volume was slightly down, marking a third-straight year of decrease as well as a seven-year low. However, as predicted in the 2022 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, a rebound was anticipated, due to a significant uptick in attacks during the second half of 2021. That rebound was felt as more than 2.8 billion malware attacks occurred within the first six months of 2022. In North America, encrypted threats were up an astounding 284% and IoT malware soared 228% within that same time frame.

Similar to shifting ransomware numbers, malware volume was level or dropped in typical hot spots like the United States (-1%), United Kingdom (-9%) and Germany (-13%), while rising collectively in Europe (29%) and Asia (32%).

"Cybercriminals are working harder than ever to be ahead of the cybersecurity industry, and unlike many of the businesses they target, threat actors often have no shortage of skills, motivation, expertise and funding within their organizations," said SonicWall expert on emerging threats, Immanuel Chavoya.

Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President, Regional Sales APJ of SonicWall added "IT environments have shifted dramatically in the past two years than in any other time in history. With remote and hybrid work arrangements becoming more common, security perimeters are more complex than ever before. India's Malware hits are up 34% YoY, which are 2nd highest globally after the U.S. Organizations are increasingly becoming the targets of sophisticated threats which often outsmart even the most robust security defences."