Seattle, June 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in network security and intelligence, secure Wi-Fi and multi-factor authentication, today announced the release of its quarterly Internet Security Report for Q1 2019. Amid a massive 62% increase in overall malware detections compared to Q4 2018, the report found that cyber criminals are leveraging a wide array of varied attack techniques, including malicious Microsoft Office documents, Mac malware and web application exploits. Overall, these results illustrate that in 2019, hackers are doubling down on well-known tactics like credential theft and ransomware by utilizing fake Office documents and other attack avenues that require organizations to deploy advanced defenses to combat a wider variety of threat vectors.
“The key findings from this latest report illustrate the importance of layered security protections in today’s advanced threat landscape,” said Corey Nachreiner, chief technology officer at WatchGuard Technologies. “Whether it be DNS-level filtering to block connections to malicious websites and phishing attempts, intrusion prevention services to ward off web application attacks, or multi-factor authentication to prevent attacks leveraging compromised credentials – it’s clear that modern cyber criminals are leveraging a bevy of diverse attack methods and the best way for organizations to protect themselves is with a unified security platform that offers a comprehensive range of security services.”
WatchGuard’s Internet Security Report is designed to provide the threat intelligence, research and security best practices organizations need to defend against online adversaries and better protect their data. Key findings from the Q1 2019 report include:
WatchGuard’s Internet Security Report is based on anonymized Firebox Feed data from a subset of active WatchGuard UTM appliances whose owners have opted in to data-sharing to support the Threat Lab’s research efforts. Today, 42,372 appliances throughout the world contribute to the Internet Security Report data pool. In total, those appliances blocked more than 23,884,979 malware variants, at a rate of 564 samples blocked per device. Additionally, those Firebox appliances prevented 989,759 network attacks (23 per device).
The complete report explores the most impactful malware and attack trends from Q1 2019, a detailed analysis of the historic “51% attack” against the cryptocurrency Ethereum Classic (ETC) that resulted in $1.1 million in loses, and cyber security advice readers can use to better protect themselves and their organizations.
For more information, download the full report here.
About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in network security, secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence. The company’s award-winning products and services are trusted around the world by nearly 10,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 80,000 customers. WatchGuard’s mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for distributed enterprises and SMBs. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.
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