Recent reports from a prominent cybersecurity company show that, during the first ten months of 2024, the number of spyware attacks in the region of Pakistan increased by 63%.
Recent reports from a prominent cybersecurity company unveil a 63% increase in the cases of spying software attacks in Pakistan within the period of the first ten months of 2024. At the recent Cyber Threat Intelligence Summit in Islamabad, Kaspersky focused on the overview of the different threats faced globally, with an emphasis on Pakistan. Data from the Kaspersky Security Network was deployed where financial malware and the threat of spyware attacks were emphasized as the major threats facing the cyberspace of the country.
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Ransomware still remains one of the biggest threats. When a company suffers a ransomware attack, for example, some form of malware is deployed to either lock or encrypt files on the victim’s system, and a ransom is paid to the offender for the unlocking key. These kinds of attacks can interrupt normal business processes very badly, making certain data and systems inaccessible or resulting in data loss. As per the estimates given by Kaspersky specialists, the industry of ransomware, or rather ransomware as a service, will continue to grow in 2025. As per the statistics provided by the Kaspersky Security Network, 13.7% of people in Pakistan experienced a web-based threat during the third quarter of 2024 (July-September). Such attacks include a spectrum of elements that include simple phishing attacks and the use of sites that are embedded in other sites with the aim of collecting personal data. In addition to that, 18.7% of the users experienced local threats transmitted through USB flash drives, CDs, and other file installation discs, which bypassed the systems and posed further threats to the users’ systems.
Pakistani banking and finance has rapidly seen an increase in cyber attacks. According to Kaspersky data, the banking and financial malware landscape experienced a 114% increase during the years January to October 2024, in contrast to the previous year’s like period. Such attacks are focused on digital means of finance and hence pose a great threat to both individual and institutional finances. A specific trend cited by Kaspersky specialists is that the threat of financial cybercrime on smartphones is expected to increase, and this trend is likely to persist even in 2025. On the other hand, such Industrial Control Systems (ICS) must be safeguarded from threats as well, in particular where such systems are deployed in sectors prone to attack like power, utilities, energy and chemicals, metals and mining as well as critical manufacturing.
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As per Kaspersky Security Network reports, 29.51% of inspected ICS computer cabins in Pakistan faced cyber invasion in quarter three of 2024. Those covers do not only include phishing but fall in ranging categories, including DNS vapors and delisted URLs, harmful Adobe scripts and phish pages, surveillance trojans, backdoors and keyloggers type infections, and dedicated malware designed for AutoCAD malware.
Conclusion: There has been a sharp increase In threats faced by cyberspace in Pakistan, making the performance of proper security an important issue. This worrying trend signifies that both persons and organizations need to put strategies in place to prevent the loss of digital information and assets.