Fallout from Cyber ​​Attacks Forces Criminals to Use Unconventional Methods

The fallout from cyber attacks is forcing criminals to resort to unconventional methods of extorting money as Internet users become more sophisticated and crime incidents decline, according to a report.

Due primarily to increased awareness, ransomware incidents dropped by 20% last year, for the first time since 2013, found Symantec. Ransomware is a hacked software that threatens to publish the victim's data or block his access permanently unless a ransom is paid.

Each month, more than 4,800 websites are compromised each month worldwide with a type of hacking called formjacking (form hacking), in which malicious code is added to retailers' websites to steal credit card details from buyers , according to the American software company Symantec.

"Worldwide, a Type 34 attack on corporate attacks has been stalled in the UAE, posing a serious threat to local businesses and consumers," said Gordon Love, vice president of the emerging region for Europe, the Middle East and Africa from Symantec.

Consumers have no way of knowing if they visit a broken online retailer without using a complete security solution, leaving valuable personal and financial information vulnerable, he added.

According to the Symantec report, 10 credit cards stolen each month from each of the 4,800 compromised websites could yield up to 2.2 million DH (8 Dh8), according to the Symantec report, adding that the attackers are were turning more and more towards the Internet of Things.

"With the growing trend towards convergence of computing and industrial IoT, the next cyber battleground is operational technology. [use of computers to modify the physical state of a system]Said Mr Love.

"A growing number of groups have shown interest in compromising operational systems and industrial control systems to potentially prepare for cyberwar."

The report also reveals that in the UAE, e-mail malware attacks have increased year by year, double the global average. In 2018, one out of 183 emails in the UAE included an attachment or malicious link, while the global average was 1 out of 412 emails during the same period.

The type of cyberattacks also depends on the size of the business. UAE companies with more than 2,500 employees were the most likely to be targeted by malware – software that damaged computer networks. On the other hand, medium-sized companies with between 500 and 1,000 employees are the most affected by spam: unsolicited messages are sent in bulk.