In 2024, the landscape of cyber threats continued to evolve as digital financial transactions expanded globally. As per the latest report by Kaspersky on Financial Cyberthreats, cybercriminals redirected their focus towards mobile devices and crypto assets, indicating a shift in their tactics compared to previous years.
The report highlighted a significant increase in the number of users encountering mobile banking Trojans, which surged by 3.6 times in comparison to the data from 2023. Additionally, there was an alarming 83.4% rise in the detection of crypto-related phishing attempts, showcasing the growing interest of cybercriminals in exploiting the popularity of cryptocurrency transactions.
While traditional PC-focused malware experienced a decline in conventional banking attacks, there was a notable rise in theft related to crypto assets. This shift in the trend was outlined in the Financial Cyberthreats report for 2024, illustrating the changing dynamics of financial cybercrime.
Financial phishing also saw a surge in fraudulent activities in 2024, with fraudsters increasingly using phishing and scam pages to mimic popular brands and financial organizations. Banks remained the top target for phishing attempts, constituting 42.6% of all financial phishing activities, a notable increase from the previous year’s data.
The report highlighted Amazon Online Shopping as the most popular online brand target for fraudsters, with a significant portion of phishing and scam pages replicating its interface. Other popular brands targeted by cybercriminals included Apple, Netflix, and Alibaba marketplace, showcasing the diversification of phishing attempts across various platforms.
Payment systems were also mimicked in a considerable number of financial phishing attacks, with PayPal being the most targeted brand. However, attacks targeting Mastercard witnessed a significant increase in 2024, indicating a shift in focus towards different payment platforms by cybercriminals.
The report also shed light on the exponential increase in phishing and scam attacks related to cryptocurrencies, with an 83.4% rise in attempts to lure users into fraudulent schemes. As the popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to soar, the number of attacks in this sector is expected to escalate, posing a significant threat to users engaging in digital currency transactions.
In terms of financial malware for PCs, there was a decrease in the number of users affected by traditional banking attacks, with a shift towards targeting crypto assets. The report highlighted the prevalence of banking Trojans such as ClipBanker, Grandoreiro, CliptoShuffler, and BitStealer, which primarily targeted crypto wallets and assets in various countries.
Countries like Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan were among the top countries affected by financial malware for PCs, indicating a global spread of cyber threats targeting crypto assets. Additionally, mobile financial threats saw a substantial increase in 2024, with the number of users encountering mobile banking Trojans witnessing a significant surge.
Overall, the Financial Cyberthreats report for 2024 provided crucial insights into the evolving landscape of cyber threats, emphasizing the need for enhanced vigilance and robust protection measures to safeguard against financial cybercrime. With fraudsters adopting more sophisticated techniques and targeting a wide range of digital platforms, users and organizations must remain vigilant to combat the growing threat of cyber attacks in the financial sector.