The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) observed more phishing attacks in the first quarter of 2016 than at any other time in computing history. According to a new report, the total number of unique phishing websites observed in Q1 2016 hit a record high of 289,371, with 123,555 of those detected in March 2016.
The quarterly and monthly totals are the highest APWG has seen since it began tracking and reporting on phishing in 2004.
The company noticed a 250% increase in phishing sites between October 2015 and March 2016. “We always see a big surge in phishing during the holiday season, but the number of phishing sites continued to grow from December through the spring of 2016,” said Greg Aaron, Senior Research Fellow at APWG.
APWG Chairman Dave Jevans said:
“Globally, attackers using phishing techniques have become much more aggressive in 2016 with keyloggers that have sophisticated tracking techniques and target specific information and organizations such as retailers and financial institutions consistently at the top of the list.”
In its Q1 Trends report, APWG found that the retail/services sector continued to be the sector with the most attacks. More attacks were also observed on cloud-based or SAAS companies.
Ransomware continues to be another growing threat, and APWG observed an increase in the number of ransomware infections in early 2016.
According to Carl Leonard, principal security analyst at Forcepoint:
“Ransomware attacks have not decreased throughout 2016. Ransomware developers demonstrated a willingness to adapt their scare tactics and software in Q1 2016 as they sought to trick more end users. So it is clear – ransomware developers are more determined and aggressive in 2016. End users should be aware of the risk and take the necessary preventive measures.”.
Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Q1 Trends
