Gen Q4 Threat Report: 321 Threats Blocked Per Second as Social Media Becomes a Playground for Scammers

Core Insights - The Q4/2024 Gen Threat Report indicates a record-breaking year for cyber threats, with 2.55 billion threats blocked in the last quarter alone, averaging 321 threats every second [1][2] - Social engineering attacks accounted for 86% of all blocked threats, highlighting the advanced psychological tactics employed by cybercriminals [1][2] - The report anticipates an increase in risks in 2025 due to the rise of AI-powered systems and devices, which are expected to be the next frontier for cybercrime [2] Cyber Threat Landscape - Phishing attacks rose by 14% in Q4/2024, with scammers exploiting platforms like Wix and spoofing brands such as Apple iCloud [3] - Malvertising was responsible for 41% of all blocked attacks in the quarter, indicating its prevalence as a method for delivering scams and malware [3] - Social media platforms, particularly Facebook, were identified as prime grounds for scams, with Facebook accounting for 56% of total identified threats [4] Financial Scams - The last quarter of 2024 marked the most active period for financial scams, with mobile phones being a primary attack vector [6] - Deceptive online ads (malvertising) accounted for 27% of scams, followed by fake e-shops at 23% and phishing at 18% [6] Notable Scams - The CryptoCore group executed the largest deepfake crypto scam, stealing over $7 million by hijacking YouTube accounts and using deepfake videos [7] - New mobile banking trojans emerged, with infections of the BankBot banker rising by 236% compared to Q3/2024 [7] Personal Data Risks - Personal data loss remains a significant risk, with a 130% increase in attacks targeting individuals, totaling 4.2 million blocked attacks in Q4 [9] - Ransomware incidents saw a 50% increase in Q4, indicating a growing threat to both organizations and individuals [10] Company Initiatives - To combat these threats, Gen introduced a Clipboard Protection feature across its brands, aimed at blocking clipboard-based threats [10] - Gen operates a family of trusted Cyber Safety brands, providing cybersecurity, online privacy, and identity protection to nearly 500 million users globally [11]