Recent studies show that threat actors will focus cyberattacks on consumers more this year than big-time organizations. Analysts developed this claim based on multiple factors that make consumers a better target for threat actors.
In the previous year, ransomware groups have prioritised targeting high-end organizations to collect vast amounts of wealth. However, as security providers improve their defences, hackers are expected to focus on consumers this time.
Some of the ransomware strains that may shift their focus in targeting consumers are the groups such as Cerber, GandCrab, WannaCry, and LockBit.
Threat actors are also expected to abuse Adware since it is an efficient source of monetary revenue for those who exclusively infect consumer computers and smartphones. Experts also claimed that ad-injectors would rise this year since they can propagate low detection rates.
Phishing was a resident threat against consumers last year, which will continue this year. As companies invest huge sums into securing their database, the most reliable way for hackers to gain access to networks is by targeting remote employees who are also consumers.
Threat actors can also target consumers by using trojans. Although trojans are composed of a wide array of malware, they all have an identical purpose: to evade detections.
Some examples of trojans that might affect consumers are info stealers, backdoors, spyware, and cryptominers. However, the most threatening among these samples is the banking trojan since it can cause a significant amount of damage to targets’ bank accounts.
In contrast to targeting huge organizations, consumers are less secure; therefore, cyberattacks against this area are more convenient for threat actors.
Moreover, an individual consumer has few resources and sometimes omits reliable AV solutions. Another researcher claims that threat actors will target the most prone consumers, such as teens and elders.
The attack surface of threat actors has expanded, making organizations fortify their defences after suffering from damaging cyberattacks for the past years. For this reason, threat actors are changing their approach to acquiring revenue with minimum efforts by targeting vulnerable consumers.
Consumers across the globe should be on their feet in spotting these threats to avoid losses.
