Emotet malware: Originally a trojan targeting banking information, it evolved into a botnet and is now responsible for 2/3 of all malicious programs via email.
Extensive in scope and seriousness, modern online security threats put billions of dollars at risk.
Starting as a "simple" trojan, Emotet has now become a botnet , allowing other users to attack, indirectly, by sharing their own malware.
Security firm Proofpoint blames botnets for 61% of malware sent via phishing emails , with Emotet behind almost all of it.
“Emotet, by its nature, is flexible and in addition to supporting network propagation, it now includes a large enough botnet to be able to regularly distribute mass campaigns that allow it to spread further via email,” says Chris Dawson, at Proofpoint.
The ways through which it spreads in e-mails are mainly malicious URL addresses, but also attached files.
The fact that most of these incidents belong to URLsis speculated to be due to the ever-increasing use of cloud (web-based) services.
Attackers exploit the fact that a modern average user more easily clicks, mainly out of habit, on seemingly valid links that in reality simply contain malicious content.
In order to be able to deal with threats of this kind,researchers are working on finding measures that can be implemented as a defense for each user.
However, to further prevent Emotet-type attacks that use social engineering, efforts are being made to ensure that malicious e-mails never reach users' inboxes.
