New WatchGuard® Technologies report: key internet threats in 2023

WatchGuard® Technologies’ New Internet Security Report

WatchGuard® Technologies has released its latest report on internet security, detailing key trends related to malicious software and threats to networks and devices analyzed by the WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers.

Key Findings from the Report

The key findings from the report reveal a sharp increase in malicious software, attacks on email servers as primary exploitation targets, and a continued decline in ransomware detections. Cybercriminals are employing various vulnerability scanning techniques, including targeting older software and systems, necessitating organizations to adopt a defense-in-depth approach.

The latest report from the fourth quarter of 2023 reveals:

• Increase in malicious software – the number of malicious software detections on Firebox increased by 80% compared to the previous quarter, mainly in the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions.
• Rise in detections of encrypting malware and zero-day attacks.
• Two out of the top five most detected malware variants lead to the DarkGate network.
• A return to living-off-the-land techniques, with a notable increase in script-based threats.
• Four out of the five most common network attacks targeted Exchange servers.

Actions Against Ransomware Extortion Groups

Efforts to combat ransomware extortion groups are yielding results, with a decrease in ransomware detections in the fourth quarter of 2023. Updating systems and software crucial to an organization’s operations is a key step in mitigating vulnerabilities against cybercriminals.

The report is based on anonymous, aggregated data from active WatchGuard network and endpoint products.