The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) observed more phishing attacks in the first quarter of 2016 than at any other time in the history of computing. According to a news report, the total number of unique phishing websites observed in Q1 2016 hit a record high of 289.371, with 123.555 of them detected in March 2016.
The quarterly and monthly totals are the highest the APWG has seen since its inception monitoring and reporting on phishing since 2004.
The company noted that there was a 250% increase in phishing sites between October 2015 and March 2016. “We always see a big surge in phishing during duration της περιόδου των διακοπών, αλλά ο αριθμός των phishing sites συνέχιζε να μεγαλώνει από τον Δεκέμβριο μέχρι την άνοιξη του 2016”, δήλωσε ο Greg Aaron , Senior Research Fellow της APWG.
APWG chairman Dave Jevans said:
"Globally, attackers using phishing techniques have become much more aggressive in 2016 with keyloggers having sophisticated tracking techniques targeting specific information and organizations such as retailers and financial institutions that are consistently at the top of the list."
In the Q1 Trends report, APWG found that the retail / service sector continued to be the most attacked sector. There were also more attacks on cloud-based or SAAS companies.
Ransomware continues to be another growing threat, and APWG noticed an increase in the number of ransomware infections at the beginning of 2016.
According to Carl Leonard, chief security analyst at Forcepoint:
"Ransomware attacks have not diminished throughout 2016. ransomware developers showed a willingness to adapt their bullying tactics and software in the first quarter of 1 as they tried to deceive more end users. So it's clear - ransomware developers are more determined and aggressive in 2016. End users should be aware of the risk and take the necessary precautions.
Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Q1 Trends
