Cyveillance, the world leader in cyber intelligence, today announced that for the second consecutive year Thanksgiving week saw a significant spike in phishing threats, with 8,298 attacks, a 300 percent increase from last year.
In addition, Black Friday saw attacks increase 380 percent year over year, while attacks on Cyber Monday rose nearly 400 percent, up from 242 in 2007 to 954 Monday. Furthermore, Cyveillance has also observed an increased use of previously unknown malware in these attacks, allowing the criminals to more easily mask the dangers and make them increasingly difficult for consumers to detect.
This spike in the number of phishing attacks is a result of criminals capitalizing on historically lax security measures taken during long holiday weekends. Typical targets include small businesses and credit unions, which may not have around-the-clock security teams to respond to threats that occur during extended weekends.
With Cyveillance's recent news that Phishing attacks have reached all-time highs in the last three months, the Thanksgiving increase highlights the efforts of criminals as they attempt to take advantage of the lack of consumer confidence in a down economy.
"Online criminals are still targeting unsuspecting Internet users during long holiday weekends, validating a trend we first discovered in 2007," said Panos Anastassiadis, CEO of Cyveillance. "During this down economy, online criminals are undoubtedly trying to take advantage of online shoppers looking for holiday deals. The hectic nature of the holiday season, combined with a lack of structured security set the stage for criminals to take advantage of vulnerable users."
About Cyveillance
Cyveillance, the world leader in cyber intelligence, provides an intelligence-led approach to security. Through continuous, comprehensive Internet monitoring and sophisticated intelligence analysis, Cyveillance proactively identifies and eliminates threats to information, infrastructure, individuals and their interactions, enabling its customers to preserve their reputation, revenues, and customer trust. For more information, visit http://www.cyveillance.com |
