Latest Avast Threat Report Finds 50% Surge
Fueled by AI-Supported Finance and Dating Scams, Mobile Scams,
Adware, Spyware and Malvertising
TEMPE,
Ariz. and PRAGUE,
Nov. 16,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Although less people spent
time online in July, August and September, Avast, a leader in
digital security and privacy, and a brand of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN),
has blocked over 1 billion attacks per month – a record high. The
latest Avast Threat Report, released today, breaks down some of the
greatest risks in our connected digital world, from cybercriminals
using social engineering and AI while running scams to
the rise in adware and malvertising.
"Typically, during vacation times people spend less time online,
and in turn, we see less cyber threats. This year, we were blown
away to see the opposite," said Jakub Kroustek, Avast Malware
Research Director. "Apparently the days of cyberthreat seasonality
are long gone with the increased use of AI and advanced tools at
the fingertips of cybercriminals. Whether people are using social
media, dating online, streaming shows or even just answering
emails, it's important they're aware of potential threats when they
go about their day-to-day activities."
Threats Hidden in Ads and Spyware
- Adware: Adware doubled globally from July through
September 2023 over the previous
quarter. A new strain of mobile adware dubbed "Invisible Adware"
has already gathered over two million downloads in the Google Play
Store. These applications display advertisements while the device
screen is off, gaining revenue through fake clicks and views. This
is not only contributing to ad fraud but can also
impact battery life and potentially install dangerous software
without a person's knowledge.
- Malvertising: Malvertising activity spiked
significantly, especially during September as people returned to
school and work after vacation. Using pop-up messages and push
notifications, cybercriminals exploit recognizable logos of
well-known companies, usually informing people that their device
has been infected with a virus. These pop-ups lead to a phishing
website where they are asked to enter credit card information under
the guise of providing antivirus services. Push notifications are
especially effective on mobile, where they can be easily disguised
as system notifications such as an unanswered call or a new text
message.
- Spyware: People should also be wary of spyware apps on
their mobile devices, which are now more difficult to spot.
One of the most recent is the fake Red Alert missile waring app that is used by
many in Israel to monitor missile
warnings. This app was distributed through a phishing website and
contained identical features as the original with added abilities
that allow it to spy on its victims. This included extracting the
call log, SMS lists, location, and emails.
Finance and Dating Scams
- Finance Scams: While people were enjoying time away from
their devices, scammers were hard at work. The risk of encountering
scams has grown significantly, with the most affected countries
being Japan (+19%), Greece (+17%), United States (+14%), Austria (+13%), and Germany (+12%). Social media sites have become
global platforms for spreading highly targeted and precisely
tailored cryptocurrency scams. These scams are often
initiated with a deepfake video of a famous personality, such as
Elon Musk, Mr. Beast, Donald Trump and others, promising a significant
amount of bitcoin if people sign up for a promoted
platform and pay a small fee to verify their account. Victims find
that not only is the promised bitcoin unattainable,
but any transferred funds to the platform are irretrievably lost to
the scammers.
- Dating Scams: Avast researchers recently discovered
a threat called Love-GPT. This AI-driven tool helps scammers create
realistic personas on popular dating apps, allowing them to reach
out to even more victims. The level of dating scams increased by
34% globally, with Belgium,
Germany, Canada, and the
United States being the most frequently targeted
countries.
For more information and to read the full Avast Q3/2023 threat
report,
visit https://decoded.avast.io/threatresearch/avast-q3-2023-threat-report
About Avast
Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part
of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering
Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast
protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for
Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100,
AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of
the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet
Watch Foundation. Learn more at
Avast.com. Visit: www.avast.com.
Brittany
Posey-Thomas
|
Courtney
Rowles
|
Gen
|
Edelman for
Gen
|
Brittany.Posey@GenDigital.com
|
Courtney.Rowles@edelman.com
|
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SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.