Cyberthreat cases in Hong Kong jumped by 94% in the week leading up to Black Friday, according to a recently released study using aggregated data from Surfshark Antivirus.
Hong Kong has a threat rate of 15 threats per 100 scan cycle, with the most common threat being riskware and virus. Aggregated monthly data from Surfshark Antivirus showed the city ranked 9th by threat rate in Asia Pacific.
““The holiday shopping season starting with Black Friday is not only beneficial for the retailers but cybercriminals too,” said Nedas Kazlauskas, antivirus product owner at Surfshark. “People searching for gifts and deals online during the period of huge discounts are more likely to click on suspicious links, download malicious files, and infect their devices."
Besides Hong Kong, the five countries that suffered the highest threat rate spikes during this time (week-over-week) were Romania (4349%), Australia (275%), Lithuania (95%), Belgium (440%), and Germany (75%). The data revealed that Europe has been the most affected region in the month leading up to Black Friday, which is 28% more than the global average.
Most common cyberthreats since mid-October
The most common threat types identified and flagged during Surfsharks’ Antivirus scans are riskware (47.3% of all threats), heuristic (12.4%), and adware (9.2%).
Since October 17th, the latest weekly global scans show that, on average, 10 riskware threats were found per 100 scans. Some malware (viruses, trojans, worms, etc.) tend to multiply once they’ve infiltrated and infected a device and could cause damage to files, personal data, and operating software. The most likely malware type to be found in bundles is virus. 24% of scans that detect viruses will detect more than 50 of them.
Two of the most common cyberthreat categories are malware and riskware.
Hackers use malware to corrupt or delete files, steal money and personal data, copy passwords, or take control of specific programs. The most common ways for malware to be installed are phishing emails, corrupt attachments, suspicious downloads, unfamiliar links, and malicious websites. Malware comes in various types, such as viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, bots, and more.
On the other hand, riskware is a program made without malicious intent but has security vulnerabilities that give it the potential to become malware.
Surfshark provides the following tips to protect yourself from threats online:
- Avoid unfamiliar sites: Steer clear of unknown or unvetted sites that offer discounts too good to be true.
- Look for the lock icon: Make sure the website has a secure HTTPS connection. The lock icon in the address bar can identify them as legitimate sites.
- Update your software: Ensure the programs and apps are up to date to avoid potential security breaches.
- Steer clear of suspicious links: Scammers will send malicious links via email, mobile or social. Please do not click on them; instead, verify deals on a retailer's official website.
- Watch for typos: Inconsistent grammar, multiple typos, and strange phrases can indicate potential scams.
- Use Antivirus: It offers real-time protection from same-day threats and advanced detection against malware and cyberattacks.
