Cybercrime continues to rise in Spain, with a 34% increase in the risk of information theft during the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest Threat Report from Gen Digital. This report, which analyzes the main threats directed at consumers between July and September, highlights the evolution of cybercriminals who are employing new tactics such as artificial intelligence, social engineering, and deepfakes to make their attacks more effective and harder to detect.
Self-scams: an alarming global increase
The report emphasizes a global growth of 614% in so-called “self-scams,” attacks in which victims are manipulated into installing malware on their own devices. Spain ranks among the countries with the highest risk alongside Italy, France, Argentina, and the Philippines. Among the most common techniques are:
- Fake tutorials: videos on platforms like YouTube that deceive users into downloading malicious software disguised as legitimate applications.
- ClickFix scams: false technical solutions that ask victims to execute dangerous commands.
- Fake CAPTCHAs: messages that mimic security checks to insert malicious codes into systems.
- Fake updates: malware disguised as software updates that give attackers full access to the system.
In the third quarter, Gen’s security tools protected over 2.1 million users from these threats.
Ransomware and malware: the return of classic threats
While scams dominate the landscape, ransomware and data-stealing malware have experienced a troubling resurgence. In Spain, ransomware crimes increased by 300% during the third quarter, driven by variants like Magniber that exploit vulnerabilities in outdated systems like Windows 7.
Globally, data-stealing malware, led by tools like Lumma Stealer, grew by 39%. This type of software collects credentials, financial data, and other confidential information, putting millions of users at risk.
Growth of mobile malware and new financial threats
Mobile devices have not been spared from this escalation. Mobile data-stealing malware increased by 166% during the quarter. Among the highlighted threats is NGate, spyware capable of cloning NFC bank card data for cash withdrawals or contactless payments.
Banking malware, which steals financial credentials, also grew by 60%, led by variants like TrickMo and Octo2. These threats often spread through malicious SMS messages, a tactic known as smishing, which represents 16.5% of the scams detected by Gen.
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The report also highlights how cybercriminals exploit advanced AI technologies to generate personalized phishing emails and messages or even deepfakes. However, these same tools are being used by cybersecurity companies to combat threats.
The AI-powered Norton Genie application offers proactive real-time detection, helping users identify and block scams before they cause harm.
How to protect yourself in a growing risk environment
To mitigate these risks, Gen Digital recommends that users:
- Avoid clicking on links in suspicious messages.
- Keep software on all devices updated.
- Use advanced security solutions like Norton or Avast.
With an increasingly complex landscape, cybersecurity has become a priority for both users and businesses, especially in a context where threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace.
For more information, the complete report from Gen is available at:
https://www.gendigital.com/blog/insights/reports/threat-report-q3-2024