Malware threats are reportedly increasing at an alarming rate with roughly 7,500 new variants created every day, claims the latest Blackberry cybersecurity report.
According to the company's preliminary telemetry for the first quarter of 2024, attacks based on new malware variants increased by 40% every minute, or 5.2 new viruses every minute, or approximately 7,500 every day.
There is reportedly also a growing trend of targeting business establishments. A third (36%) of all threats were directed at commercial enterprises, which include manufacturing, retail, automotive, and professional services.
This percentage shows a 3% increase compared to the previous reporting period. However, a 10% rise in new malware incidents was observed in this area as threat actors became more proficient.
Ismael Valenzuela, an executive at BlackBerry's Threat Research and Intelligence, claims that threat actors are motivated by a desire to either witness nations burn or take advantage of their victims by stealing money.
Furthermore, according to Valenzuela, navigating the cybersecurity landscape could feel daunting in a year where over 50 nations are holding elections, geopolitical tensions are at an all-time high, and everyone's attention is focused on the Olympic Games.
UK on AI-Assisted Hacking
The latest report comes as artificial intelligence, a rapidly developing field of technology, is also predicted to assist many threat actors in becoming even more adept hackers.
According to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) of the United Kingdom, during the next two years, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will probably lead to a rise in ransomware attacks and phishing schemes globally, as they will facilitate less skilled hackers in causing harm online.
The report claims that AI will enhance threat actors' social engineering skills. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can already be used to enable convincing communication with victims, including the creation of lure documents, without the requirement for translation, spelling, or grammar checks-which are often signs of phishing.
This will increase over the next two years as models advance and usage increases. Threat actors will likely be able to choose high-value assets for examination and exfiltration over the next two years because of AI's quick data summarization, which will increase the value and impact of cyberattacks.
Ransomware continues to be the most dangerous cyber threat facing UK businesses and organizations, as hackers adapt their business models to maximize efficiency and profitability.
AI Hacking Until 2025
AI will reportedly enhance the number and intensity of cyberattacks and cyber operations involving phishing, hacking, and surveillance. It is currently being used for hostile cyber actions. Finally, this tendency will likely continue until 2025 or later.
Due to the use of GenAI and large language models (LLMs), the same UK report claims that until 2025, it will be impossible for anyone to recognize, much alone assess if an email or request for a password reset is legitimate. This means that the advancements in AI will subsequently make it more difficult for everyone to distinguish scams from legitimate practices.
Related Article: UK Government Must Track AI Incidents to Avoid Future Crises, Report Suggests
