In a recent update from Kaspersky, their detection systems identified an average of 411,000 malicious files daily in 2023, marking a nearly 3 percent increase compared to the previous year. The Kaspersky Security Bulletin: Statistics of the Year Report highlights significant shifts in cyber threats, showcasing a particular uptick of 53 percent in attacks involving malicious Microsoft Office and various document types. Cyber attackers are increasingly employing sophisticated tactics, including the use of backdoors to infiltrate systems undetected.
Throughout 2023, Kaspersky’s systems detected a staggering total of almost 125 million malicious files, with Windows remaining the primary target, constituting 88 percent of daily detected malware-filled data. Among the top three threats, malicious families disseminated through various scripts and different document formats accounted for 10 percent of all daily malicious file detections.
A noteworthy finding reveals a substantial daily increase in malicious files within document formats, such as Microsoft Office and PDF, surging by 53 percent to approximately 24,000 files. This surge is believed to be linked to an increase in attacks utilizing phishing PDF files designed to steal data from unsuspecting victims.
Trojans continue to be the most widespread type of malware, with a significant rise in the use of backdoors. Detected files per day increased from 15,000 in 2022 to 40,000 in 2023, highlighting the growing threat of backdoors, which provide attackers with remote control over victims’ systems.
Vladimir Kuskov, Head of Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky, emphasizes the evolving and increasingly dangerous cyberthreat landscape. He underscores the need for organizations and individuals to embrace reliable security solutions, given the growing number of vulnerabilities and the lowered entry barrier into cybercrime facilitated by AI.
The report’s insights, based on Kaspersky detections from January to October, are part of the Kaspersky Security Bulletin (KSB), an annual series providing predictions and analytical reports on key shifts in the cybersecurity world.
To stay protected, Kaspersky recommends users follow these essential guidelines:
- Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources
- Do not click on any links from unknown sources or suspicious online advertisements
- Create strong and unique passwords, including a mix of lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and punctuation, as well as activating two-factor authentication
- Always install updates. Some of them may contain critical security issue fixes
- Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office or cybersecurity software
- Use a robust security solution appropriate to your system type and devices, such as Kaspersky Premium.