Acronis highlights cyber-threats in 2024 report
Eve Goode
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Acronis has released its biannual report titled: “Acronis Cyberthreats Report, H2 2024: The rise of AI-driven threats”.
Email cyber-attacks
This edition reveals a significant rise in email cyber-attacks with a 197% increase detected in H2 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 with a 21% rise in attacks per organisation.
Acronis’ report found that from July to December 2024, nearly 50% of users were targeted by email-based attacks at least once and nearly a third of all emails received in H2 2024 were spam with 1.4% containing malware or phishing links.
Email attacks on managed service providers (MSPs) also increased with phishing being the preferred attack vector for attackers to breach MSP networks with 33% experiencing email phishing campaigns.
Acronis claims that this demonstrates how cyber-criminals are leveraging common MSP practices to gain unauthorised access and deploy malicious payloads.
MSPs as access points
The report highlights an emerging trend: MSPs are increasingly targeted by advanced persistent threat (APT)-linked ransomware groups, posing a significant and growing risk.
These sophisticated actors employ espionage-style tactics, including stolen credentials, social engineering and supply chain attacks, to infiltrate MSP networks and spread ransomware to client systems.
This shift signals that MSPs are no longer targets but have become entry points for high-stakes cyber-attacks.
Malware attacks
In December 2024, the countries with the highest targeted malware attacks were:
- The Emirates (16.2%)
- Brazil (13.2%)
- Singapore (12.0%)
“Empowers organisations, MSPs and the cybersecurity industry”
Gerald Beuchelt, CISO, Acronis commented: “The cyber-threats report from the Acronis Threat Research Unit serves as our biannual pulse on the cybersecurity landscape, offering critical insights into the latest attack trends and vulnerabilities.
“This release highlights the alarming rise of AI-generated attacks and the increasing sophistication of ransomware campaigns.”
Beuchelt concluded: “By analysing trends from the first half of 2024 and providing actionable recommendations, the report empowers organisations, MSPs and the cybersecurity industry to proactively strengthen their defences to stay ahead of today’s most pressing risks.”
