Security News > 2024 > April > Kaspersky Study: Devices Infected With Data-Stealing Malware Increased by 7 Times Since 2020

The number of devices infected with data-stealing malware in 2023 was 9.8 million, a sevenfold increase over the same figure for 2020, according to new research from Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.

The data was obtained from log files that record the activities of "Infostealers." Infostealers are a type of malware that covertly extracts data from infected devices without encrypting it.

Aamil Karimi, threat intelligence leader at cybersecurity firm Optiv, told TechRepublic in an email, "There was a notable rise in new stealer malware introduced to the cybercriminal ecosystem beginning in 2019, including very popular strains like RedLine, Lumma and Raccoon. Some of these stealer malware variants have been used in ransomware operations that have shown increased activity over the last few years. These variants are very inexpensive, and they have proven to work, so there is incentive for more potential criminals to join these malware-as-a-service operations and affiliate programs."

The amount of malware available to cybercriminals is increasing exponentially, according to Optiv's senior malware analyst McKade Ivancic, facilitating more data-stealing attacks.

Another study by the firm found that over half of devices infected with data-stealing malware in 2023 were corporate.

The log file data also revealed that a fifth of employees would reopen the malware on their device more than once, giving the cybercriminals access to their data on multiple occasions without the need for reinfection.

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https://www.techrepublic.com/article/data-stealing-malware-study/