Avast highlights the 2019 threat landscape

Cybersecurity giant Avast has announced its annual report on the cyber threat landscape. In it, it details the top security trends collected by the Avast Threat Lab team that consumers will face throughout 2019. Avast experts check approximately one million new files per day and block two billion attacks every month. This volume gathers valuable information on the most common threats, as well as providing the ability to map trends to predict future attacks. Some of the key security trends that will evolve or continue to impact consumers in 2019 include:

• The awakening of adversarial Artificial Intelligence (AI)

They predict the emergence of a class of attacks known as "DeepAttacks", which uses AI-generated content to evade AI security controls. In 2018, the Avast Threat Lab team observed many examples where researchers used adversarial AI algorithms to deceive humans. Examples include a fake Obama video created by Buzzfeed, where the president is seen convincingly delivering false statements.

• Email threats in Brazil grow 16% and country ranks 2nd worldwide

We also saw cases of adversarial AI that deliberately confused the smartest object detection algorithms. For example, fooling an algorithm into thinking a Stop sign indicated a 70 km/h speed limit. In 2019, we predict an increase in the deployment of DeepAttacks in attempts to evade human detection and intelligent defenses.

• IoT threats will become more sophisticated

The trend for smart devices will be so pervasive in the coming years that it will be difficult to buy household appliances or home electronics without them being connected to the internet. Avast's study showed that security is often an afterthought in the smart device industry. Generally, these devices from well-known brands come with built-in security options, as some manufacturers skimp on this protection to keep costs low for consumers or because they are not experts in the field. And this is a mistake, because devices can be as "secure" as a contaminated link. History tends to repeat itself, so we can expect IoT malware to evolve and become more sophisticated and dangerous, similar to the development of malware for PCs and mobile devices.

• The rise of router attacks

Routers have proven to be a simple and fertile target for a growing wave of attacks. We detected an increase in router malware in 2018, but also changes in the characteristics of these attacks. In 2019, we predict an increase in router hijackings aimed at stealing banking credentials. One example is when the infected router injects a malicious HTML image into specific web pages, when displayed on mobile devices. This new element can ask mobile device users to install a new malicious banking app, which will capture authentication messages. Routers will continue to be used as attack targets, not only to run malicious scripts or spy on users, but also as an intermediary link for chain attacks.

• The evolution of mobile device threats

In 2019, well-known tactics such as advertising, phishing, and fake apps will continue to dominate the mobile threat landscape. In 2018, we tracked and alerted on countless fake apps through our platform apklab.io. Some were even found on the Google Play Store. Fake apps are zombies in mobile security, becoming so ubiquitous that they barely make headlines. New fake apps also emerge to replace those already flagged for removal. Therefore, they will continue to persist as a trend in 2019, intensified by fake versions of popular apps circulating on the Google Play Store. In 2018, the return of banking trojans was also announced in the mobile space, growing 150% year-over-year, jumping from 3% to over 7% of all detections we tracked worldwide. Although perhaps not a huge change in terms of overall volume, we believe cybercriminals are discovering that digital banking services are the best way to make money compared to cryptocurrency mining. "This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web (WWW). After these three decades, the threat landscape is exponentially more complex and the available attack surface is growing as fast as any other fact in the history of technology," commented Ondrej Vlcek, President of the Consumer Area at Avast. "PC viruses, although still a global threat, are being accompanied by several categories of malware capable of generating more threats. People are acquiring a greater number of connected devices, as well as a diversity of them, which means all aspects of our lives can be compromised by an attack. Assessing the 2019 landscape, these trends lead to a growth of these threats, through the expanding attack surface," said Ondrej. Source: Avast

Frequently asked questions

What is a "DeepAttack" according to Avast's threat report?

"DeepAttack" is the term Avast's Threat Lab team uses for attacks that rely on AI-generated content to deceive both people and AI-based security controls. Avast points to a fake Obama video created by Buzzfeed as an example, in which the former president convincingly appears to make false statements. The company predicted these attacks would increase in 2019 as a way to evade human detection and intelligent defenses.

Why have home routers become a frequent target of cyberattacks?

According to Avast, routers are a simple and fertile target, and the company detected an increase in router-focused malware in 2018. One risk highlighted is an infected router injecting a malicious HTML image into web pages viewed on mobile devices, prompting the user to install a fake banking app that captures authentication messages. Beyond stealing banking credentials, compromised routers are also used as an intermediary link in chain attacks.

How much did mobile banking trojans grow, according to Avast?

Avast recorded a 150% year-over-year increase in mobile banking trojans, which jumped from 3% to more than 7% of all detections tracked worldwide in 2018. The company attributes this rise to cybercriminals discovering that digital banking services generate more money than cryptocurrency mining. Fake apps and phishing remain among the tactics dominating the mobile threat landscape.