Malicious URLs overtake attachments as top email threat
Cybercriminals increasingly favor malicious URLs over attachments, as they are easier to disguise and more likely to evade detection, according to the latest report from Proofpoint.
These links are embedded in messages, buttons, and even inside attachments like PDFs or Word documents to entice clicks that initiate credential phishing or malware downloads.
Threat actors move to smaller more persistent attacks
Threat actors are favoring smaller, persistent attacks under 100,000 requests per second according to a new report. This shift signals a growing dependence on automated, generative AI-enhanced attack tools, reflecting the democratization of DDoS capabilities among loosely coordinated threat actors and new actors entering the scene.
The report from Radware also shows web DDoS attacks rose 39 percent over the second half of 2024. The second quarter set a record with a 54 percent quarter-on-quarter spike.
Hackers weaponize GenAI to boost cyberattacks
Adversaries are weaponizing GenAI to scale operations and accelerate cyberattacks -- as well as increasingly targeting the autonomous AI agents reshaping enterprise operations. This is among the findings of CrowdStrike’s 2025 Threat Hunting Report.
The report reveals how threat actors are targeting tools used to build AI agents -- gaining access, stealing credentials, and deploying malware -- a clear sign that autonomous systems and machine identities have become a key part of the enterprise attack surface.
83 percent of credential stuffing campaigns target APIs
According to new research from Radware 83 percent of credential stuffing campaigns include explicit API-targeting techniques.
The report shows a shift in credential stuffing attacks, underscoring a fundamental transformation from volume-based attacks leveraging a series of repeated password attempts to more sophisticated, multi-stage infiltration techniques.
What’s behind the recent rise in identity-based attacks? [Q&A]
Cybercriminals are increasingly using sophisticated identity-based attacks (phishing, social engineering, leveraging compromised credentials) to gain access as trusted users and move laterally across systems undetected.
We spoke to Cristian Rodriguez, field CTO, Americas at CrowdStrike, about the company’s recent research into these attacks and now organizations can defend against them.
European manufacturers face critical vulnerabilities
The manufacturing industry is the most targeted industry for cyberattacks and this has has now been the case for four consecutive years.
A new study from KnowBe4 shows that this combined with the manufacturing sector’s expanding digital footprint is putting operations, intellectual property, and economic resilience at risk from critical vulnerabilities.
84 percent of attacks now use legitimate tools
New research from Bitdefender shows that 84 percent of high severity attacks are using Living off the Land (LOTL) techniques, exploiting legitimate tools used by administrators.
One of the findings is that the netsh.exe tool -- used for network configuration -- management is the most frequently abused tool, appearing in a third of major attacks. While checking firewall configurations is a logical initial step for attackers, this clearly demonstrates how data analysis can spotlight trends that human operators might instinctively disregard.
AI leads to a new phishing threat every 42 seconds
AI-powered phishing campaigns are bypassing traditional defenses as threat actors flood inboxes with polymorphic phishing, spoofed brands, and new malware families.
New research from the Cofense Phishing Defense Center (PDC) has tracked one malicious email every 42 seconds. Many of these were part of polymorphic phishing attacks that mutate in real-time in order to bypass traditional filters.
Cybersecurity readiness stays low as AI attacks increase
Only four percent of organizations worldwide have achieved the 'mature' level of readiness required to effectively withstand today's cybersecurity threats, even as hyperconnectivity and AI introduce new complexities for security practitioners.
The latest Cybersecurity Readiness Index from Cisco shows 86 percent of organizations faced AI-related security incidents last year. However, only 49 percent of respondents are confident their employees fully understand AI related threats, and 48 percent believe their teams fully grasp how malicious actors are using AI to execute sophisticated attacks.
Cybersecurity budgets increase but so do incidents
According to a new study, 79 percent of respondents say their organization is making changes to its cybersecurity budget. Of these, 71 percent say their security budgets are increasing, with the average budget at $24 million.
However, the report from Optiv, with research by the Ponemon Institute, also shows 66 percent of the more than 600 respondents report cybersecurity incidents have increased in the past year, up from 61 percent in 2024.
Almost a quarter of HTML email attachments are malicious
When used legitimately, HTML attachments in emails enable organizations to share content, such as newsletters or invitations, that display properly when opened in an email client or web browser.
But a new report from Barracuda reveals that 23 percent of HTML attachments are malicious, making them the most weaponized text file type. Overall more than three-quarters of the malicious files detected overall were HTML, and 24 percent of email messages overall are now unwanted or malicious spam.
Email still the main channel for cyberattacks and disinformation
Malicious actors are increasingly exploiting email to impersonate brands, launch phishing campaigns, and spread false information -- often using sophisticated methods made simpler by emerging technologies.
A new report from Valimail shows that email continues to be the most exploited attack vector for cybercriminals and disinformation campaigns, with artificial intelligence dramatically increasing the sophistication of these threats.
Gcore launches DDoS protection for enterprise infrastructure
Organizations are increasingly faced with complex DDoS attacks that disrupt operations, increase latency, and compromise network security.
Security solutions company Gcore is launching 'Super Transit', which is not a big van but a cutting-edge DDoS protection and acceleration feature, designed to safeguard enterprise infrastructure while delivering lightning-fast connectivity.
Number of ransomware victims increases 102 percent
Ransomware attacks reached a historic high in the first quarter of this year, with 2,063 victims reported, a 102 percent increase compared to the previous year.
The report from GuidePoint Security also records a record high number of active threat groups, with 70 identified in Q1, reflecting a 55.5 percent year-on-year rise.
First quarter of 2025 sees record numbers of ransomware attacks
New findings from threat protection platform BlackFog show the first quarter of 2025 has seen record-breaking numbers of publicly disclosed ransomware attacks, marking a 45 percent increase compared to Q1 of 2024.
Analysis of ransomware activity in the period from January to March saw records set each month. Both January and February set new monthly records for disclosed attacks, with increases from 2024 of 22 percent and 36 percent, respectively while March recorded the largest number of disclosed attacks since BlackFog began tracking in 2020, with 107 attacks -- an 81 percent increase compared with March 2024.
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