Data from Netskope reveals that cloud apps have reached a new height as the top medium for malware and phishing-related downloads.
Well, Microsoft and Google have been taking a lot of first place positions for quite a while now. Honestly, Microsoft should get a bad first position at this point, just based on probability, right? That’s the spot that One Drive is here to fill, and if bar charts are any indicator, the company worked really hard to get the app to this momentous occasion. First off, some credit naturally goes to phishing attacks themselves, and the intense regularity with which they’ve increased in both scope, scale, and number with each passing year. OneDrive would not be where it is today if not for the diligent cybercriminals that work to exploit people and their hard-earned livelihoods and whatnot. Secondary credit is, of course, to the hard work that Microsoft has put in to ensure that their platform remains just unsafe enough to make it into such rankings; sure, OneDrive isn’t teeming with viruses and malware, but there’s always something lurking about.
With that travesty of an acceptance speech out of the way, let’s look at some data. More particularly, let’s look at how alarmingly fast One Drive climbed the ranks to become the top malware application. In 2020, OneDrive held the number one spot with Google at number five. However, this quickly turned around in 2021, with Google Drive shooting up to the number one spot, leaving OneDrive behind with a firm second place finish. While in 2022, as per Netskope's data Microsoft's One Drive is again the hot target for hackers.
Phishing attacks have evolved, and they’ve come to infect more apps and platforms in incredibly creative ways. For example, cybercriminals have managed to employ SEO so effectively that articles webpages containing phishing links are just offered up by Google on a silver platter. It’s difficult to keep up pace, and online vigilance has become ever so important.
Read next: Ransom Amounts in Cyber Attacks Decrease by 44% in Q4 2021 Despite Record Breaking Third Quarter
Well, Microsoft and Google have been taking a lot of first place positions for quite a while now. Honestly, Microsoft should get a bad first position at this point, just based on probability, right? That’s the spot that One Drive is here to fill, and if bar charts are any indicator, the company worked really hard to get the app to this momentous occasion. First off, some credit naturally goes to phishing attacks themselves, and the intense regularity with which they’ve increased in both scope, scale, and number with each passing year. OneDrive would not be where it is today if not for the diligent cybercriminals that work to exploit people and their hard-earned livelihoods and whatnot. Secondary credit is, of course, to the hard work that Microsoft has put in to ensure that their platform remains just unsafe enough to make it into such rankings; sure, OneDrive isn’t teeming with viruses and malware, but there’s always something lurking about.
With that travesty of an acceptance speech out of the way, let’s look at some data. More particularly, let’s look at how alarmingly fast One Drive climbed the ranks to become the top malware application. In 2020, OneDrive held the number one spot with Google at number five. However, this quickly turned around in 2021, with Google Drive shooting up to the number one spot, leaving OneDrive behind with a firm second place finish. While in 2022, as per Netskope's data Microsoft's One Drive is again the hot target for hackers.
Phishing attacks have evolved, and they’ve come to infect more apps and platforms in incredibly creative ways. For example, cybercriminals have managed to employ SEO so effectively that articles webpages containing phishing links are just offered up by Google on a silver platter. It’s difficult to keep up pace, and online vigilance has become ever so important.
Read next: Ransom Amounts in Cyber Attacks Decrease by 44% in Q4 2021 Despite Record Breaking Third Quarter
