New report shows Kaspersky Lab technologies detected 346,000 new malicious files every day in the first ten months of the year
Woburn, MA – December 4, 2018 – Kaspersky Lab issued a new report today, revealing that of all the new malicious files detected by the company’s technologies in 2018, the number of files that were backdoors rose by 44 percent. The report also found that the overall volume of ransomware increased by 43 percent, and nearly one-in-three (30%) computers encountered at least one online malicious threat in 2018. These results show that malware, particularly backdoors and ransomware, remains a significant risk for consumers and businesses heading into 2019.
In 2018, backdoor and ransomware (Trojan-Ransom) detections comprised 3.7 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively, of all new malicious files collected by Kaspersky Lab in the first ten months of the year. Detections of backdoors rose from 2,272,341 in 2017 to 3,263,681 in 2018; while ransomware was up from 2,198,130 detections in 2017 to 3,133,513 in 2018.
Share of new malicious file detections by behavior in 2018
Overall, Kaspersky Lab’s detection technologies handled 346,000 new malicious files every day in the first ten months of the year. The number and range of new malicious files detected on a daily basis is a strong indicator of the interests of cybercriminals involved in the creation and distribution of malware. In 2011, Kaspersky Lab technologies detected 70,000 new files a day, and by 2017, the number had risen five-fold to 360,000.
In 2018, Kaspersky Lab solutions repelled 1,876,998,691 attacks launched from online resources located all over the world. The company’s web antivirus solution detected 21,643,946 unique malicious objects.
“2018 saw a slight relief in daily detections,” said Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, head of anti-malware research at Kaspersky Lab. “On the one hand, this could indicate criminals’ interest in reusing old malware that has proven efficient. On the other hand, the spikes in the number of backdoor and Trojan-Ransom detections show us that malicious actors are in constant search for new ways to compromise victims’ devices and make money out of them. The enduring interest in ransomware and its continued development is a warning to stay vigilant – both against existing, known cyberthreats and new, as yet unknown ones. This is why we continue to improve our detection and protection systems on a daily basis, making sure our customers are secure.”
In order to stay protected, Kaspersky Lab recommends the following tips for consumers:
- Do not open any suspicious files or attachments received from unknown sources.
- Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources.
- Do not click on any links received from unknown sources or in suspicious online advertisements.
- Create strong passwords and be sure to change them regularly.
- Always install updates when prompted, as some of them may contain critical security bug fixes.
- Ignore messages asking to disable security settings on your operating system or antivirus software.
- Use a robust security solution across all of your devices, such as Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Security Cloud.
More 2018 threat statistics are available in Kaspersky Lab’s full report on Securelist.com.
This report is a part of part of the Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2018. To see Kaspersky Lab’s threat predictions for 2019, please visit our blog. The Story of the Year on malicious cryptocurrency mining and the Review of the Year are also available on Securelist.com.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company, which has been operating in the market for over 20 years. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
Media Contact
Meghan Rimol
781.503.2671
meghan.rimol@kaspersky.com
