Network-based malware detections increase 94 percent

A new report from WatchGuard Technologies shows a 94 percent increase in network-based malware detections in the last quarter of 2024.

There’s also been an increase in overall malware detections including a six percent increase in Gateway AntiVirus (GAV) detections and a 74 percent increase in Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Blocker detections, the most significant rises came from proactive machine learning detection offered by IntelligentAV (IAV) at 315 percent.

WatchGuard's Threat Lab has also observed a significant increase in crypto miner detection at 141 percent quarter-on-quarter. A malicious coin miner can look like legitimate executing software that installs a coin miner without the user's knowledge or consent.

"The findings from our Q4 2024 Internet Security Report reveal a cybersecurity landscape where attackers are both continuously relying on old habits and low-hanging fruit vulnerabilities and flaws that are easy to exploit while also leveraging evasive malware techniques to evade traditional defenses," says Corey Nachreiner, chief security officer at WatchGuard Technologies. "The data illustrates the importance of staying vigilant with the basics: proactively keep systems updated, monitor for abnormal activity, and use layered defenses to catch the inevitable exploit attempts across networks and endpoints. By doing so, businesses can greatly mitigate the threats demonstrated this quarter and be prepared for what adversaries and the evolving threat landscape may bring."

Among other findings zero-day malware rebounded to 53 percent of detections, up significantly from its all-time low of 20 percent in Q3. This reinforces the report's observation that malware increasingly comes in encrypted connections, with these encrypted channels typically delivering more sophisticated and evasive threats.

Interestingly total unique malware threats are significantly down for the quarter, at a historic 91 percent decrease. This is likely due to a reduction in one-off targeted attacks and an increase in generic malware.

You can get the full report from the WatchGuard site.

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