Targeted ransomware attacks are on the rise - in 2019 ransomware was increasingly targeted at specific companies, local administrations and healthcare organizations. Hackers spend a lot of time collecting personal information about their victims to ensure that the damage done is substantial and that the ransoms are consequently much higher. The attacks have become so impactful that the FBI has softened its stance on paying the ransoms: now recognizes that, in some cases, companies need to examine all possible solutions to protect their shareholders, employees and customers. This will lead to an increase in the number of organizations taking out insurance policies against ransomware in the future, which in turn will result in more redemption requests from attackers.

Phishing attacks go beyond e-mail - While e-mail remains the main attack vector, cybercriminals also use a variety of other attack channels to trick victims into giving out personal information, login credentials or even sending money. Phishing increasingly involves attacks via SMS on mobile phones or the use of direct messages on social media and gaming platforms.

Malware attacks on mobile devices intensified - There was a 50% increase in malware attacks on mobile banking in the first half of 2019 compared to 2018. Malware can steal payment data, credentials and funds from the bank accounts of the victims, new variants are available that can be disseminated on a large scale by anyone willing to finance malware developers. Phishing attacks will also become more complex and effective, attempting to convince mobile users to click on malicious weblinks.

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