Security News > 2021 > March > TrickBot Takes Over, After Cops Kneecap Emotet
A massive malicious spam campaign, along with the global takedown of Emotet, has vaulted the TrickBot trojan to the top of the Check Point's list of the most popular malware among cybercriminals for February.
In January, TrickBot was ranked third on Check Point's list, and it was fourth overall for 2020, while the No. 1 malware, Emotet, remained ascendant.
TrickBot hasn't quite reached the same level of success as Emotet enjoyed before the crackdown, Check Point's Omer Dembinsky told Threatpost.
Cybercriminals likely picked TrickBot as their new tool of choice because of its record of success with other high-profile campaigns, like the 2020 attack on Universal Health Services, which used the malware to exfiltrate stolen data and deliver Ryuk ransomware to the system, Check Point added.
It's flexibility is another aspect of TrickBot which makes it an attractive choice for cybercriminals, Check Point reported.
"Comprehensive training for all employees is crucial, so they are equipped with the skills needed to identify the types of malicious emails which spread Trickbot and other malware," Check Point said.