The democratization of telecommuting in recent months has given hackers a whole new hunting ground.

The multiplication of targets, often not very technophile, has exploded the number of attacks.

Computer security company WatchGuard Technologies has released a new report regarding Internet security. It looks at the second quarter of 2021 and analyzes malware trends and network security threats. The report highlights an astonishing growth in malware infecting its victims through encrypted HTTPS connections. The report also shows a sharp increase in threats from ransomware, fileless malware, network attacks ...

Corey Nachreiner, Chief Security Officer of WatchGuard, noted the imperative to review corporate cybersecurity: “With most businesses and organizations around the world still operating primarily with a mobile or hybrid workforce model, a different approach to cybersecurity is needed.

While strong perimeter defense remains an important part of layered security, strong Endpoint Protection (EPP) and Endpoint Threat Detection and Response (EDR) are increasingly essential.

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Two particularly prevalent malware

WatchGuard estimates that in the second quarter of 2021, 91.5% of malware was distributed over an encrypted connection. A considerable increase compared to the first three months of the year. "AMSI.Disable. A ”and“ XML.JSLoader ”topped the list of malware identified by WatchGuard during the second quarter, with a volume of more than 90% of cases detected between them. This malware family uses PowerShell tools to exploit several vulnerabilities in Windows. In particular, WatchGuard discovered that “AMSI.Disable. A ”uses code that can disable AntiMalware Scan Interface (AMSI) in PowerShell, thereby bypassing script security checks without detecting malware.

According to WatchGuard, malware detections using PowerShell tools have already reached 80% of the total volume of 2020 in the first six months of 2021. At this rate, malware detections are likely to double year on year.

WatchGuard also reports that the number of network attacks increased 22% from the previous quarter with nearly 4.1 million network attacks in the previous quarter and 5 million in the second quarter.

Secure connection?

Better stay focused

These data show that using encrypted communication channels such as HTTPS does not protect users from malware.

Indeed, contamination is mainly due to negligence on the part of users and not to security problems.

So be careful with the links you click and even more with the software you run when you are online.

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