Islamabad: By 2023, nearly 10 million devices will fall victim to data-stealing malware. According to Kaspersky, 443,000 websites worldwide have suffered a data breach over the past 44 years. The .com domain led the charge in 2023 with nearly 326 million logins and passwords for websites on that domain by infostealer. .pk domain accounts in Pakistan have reached 2.4 million.
Recent data theft reports show a 643% increase in the past three years. The actual number of infections is probably more than 10 million. According to Kaspersky’s estimates of infostealer log-file dynamics, the number of detected infections in 2023 is estimated to be around 16,000,000.
With cybercriminals stealing an average of 50.9 login credentials per infected device, the threat to consumers and businesses from data theft is on the rise. Because of this growing threat, Kaspersky launched a dedicated website to understand the problem and provide strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
Security actors use these credentials for their purposes, such as conducting cyber attacks or freely selling or distributing them on dark web forums and shady Telegram channels. These credentials may include logins for various company online services, such as social media, online banking services, crypto wallets, email, and internal systems.
“The dark web value of log files and login credentials varies depending on the attractiveness of the data and how it is sold there. Certificates can be sold through subscription services through public uploads called “aggregators” or through “stores”. Selling new Login licenses is only available for selected users. charged to buyers.
Prices start from $10 per file per day in this store. This highlights the importance of vigilance for individuals and companies, especially those dealing with large online user communities, to allow criminals to carry out. various attacks such as theft cyber, social engineering, or impersonation. That’s the main threat,” he said.
To protect against data-stealing malware, people are advised to use a comprehensive security solution for any device. Companies can help protect their users, employees, and partners from threats. They can proactively monitor leaks and prompt users to immediately change leaked passwords.
More information about the Infostealer threat is gathered on the Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence website.
