Global mobile banking trojan attacks on Android users surged by a third in 2023, alongside a significant rise in cryptocurrency-related phishing, as reported by Kaspersky.
The most widespread banking trojan was Bian.h, responsible for 22% of all Android attacks. In terms of geographical impact, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan reported the highest proportion of users encountering banking trojans, while Turkey led in mobile banking malware incidents.
Igor Golovin, a security expert at Kaspersky, stated, “With the emergence of new and aggressive malware strains, attackers are evolving their tactics to target mobile devices more aggressively. This highlights the need for individuals and businesses to enhance their vigilance, update protective measures, and strengthen device security accordingly.”
Conversely, the number of users affected by financial PC malware saw an 11% decrease in 2023, with the Ramnit and Zbot families affecting over half of those impacted. Consumers remained the primary target, constituting 61% of all attacks.
Kaspersky reported blocking nearly six million attempts to access cryptocurrency-themed phishing links, marking a 16% increase from 2022. Scammers impersonated cryptocurrency exchanges and promoted coins in the name of major companies such as Apple.
Overall, financial phishing continues to pose a significant threat, accounting for 27% of all phishing attacks on corporate users and 31% on home users. Notably, PayPal phishing made up more than half of the phishing pages targeting electronic payment system users.