Security News > 2022 > May > Malware goes regional as attackers change tactics

Most malware attacks now originate from the same region as the victim, according to a new report, a sign that malicious actors are changing their tactics.

One such trend is that most recent malware attacks came from within the same region as the victim, a marked difference from previous years, according to Netskope, which believes this is a strategic tactic used by attackers to avoid geofencing filters and other prevention measures.

A rise in the use of search engines to deliver malware seen by Netskope over the past year demonstrates how adept attackers have become at SEO, the firm said.

Malware downloads referred via search engines largely comprised malicious PDF files, with other techniques included fake CAPTCHAs that redirect users to phishing, spam, scam, and malware websites.

47 percent of malware downloads originate from cloud apps, compared with 53 percent delivered from traditional websites, Netskope claims.

Netskope also claimed that attacks involving malicious Microsoft Office files are on the decline and have returned to levels seen before the Emotet malware struck.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/05/10/malware_attacks_regional/