The cyber attacks observed in the first quarter of 2015 were nothing new, but were extremely effective. This was the finding of the security report from the Japanese security experts Trend Micro. Ads online and on mobile portals, blackmailer software and macro viruses in particular pose a serious threat.
Online advertising has become a popular method for transporting exploits, especially as users cannot influence which ads are displayed.
Blackmailer software is also becoming increasingly widespread. Almost half (49%) of all infections detected were caused by this software. Users hit by blackmailer software are not only locked out of their computer, but also forced to pay a “ransom” to access their files again, which the criminals have encrypted.
Also of note in the first quarter of the year was the return of macro viruses: These first made an appearance 20 years ago, before disappearing again in the mid 2000s. The period from January to March 2015, however, saw almost 100,000 cases of macro virus infections worldwide.
(Source: Trend Micro/bs)