Trend Micro detected and blocked over 15 million threats in Qatar, states its annual cybersecurity report for 2021

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released its 2021 annual cybersecurity report: Navigating New Frontiers. The report highlights the growing rate of cyber-attacks by malicious actors on digital infrastructures and individuals in the modern-day hybrid work environment.

The report states that globally Trend Micro solutions stopped over 94.2 billion threats in 2021, a 42% increase in the number of detections recorded in 2020. Attacks had surged over 53 billion in the second half of 2021, blocking 41 billion threats in H1 2021. Ransomware attackers are shifting their focus to critical businesses and industries more likely to pay, and double extortion tactics ensure that they are able to profit. Ransomware-as-a-service offerings have opened the market to cybercriminals with limited technical knowledge, as well as given rise to more specialization, such as initial access brokers who are now an essential part of the cybercrime supply chain. Threat actors are getting better at exploiting human error to compromise cloud infrastructure and remote workers. Homeworkers are often prone to take more risks than those in the office, which makes phishing a greater risk.

In Qatar, Trend Micro solutions detected and blocked over 4 million (4,232,791) email threats, more than 1.6 million (1,657,084) malware attacks, and nearly 7 million (6,903,023) URL victims’ attacks. Furthermore, shielding remote learning and working, Smart Home Network (SHN) solutions protected devices and networks from 9,694 SHN inbound and outbound attacks and prevented 712,525 SHN events.

“Qatar’s organizations have resiliently battled through the pandemic and the accelerated digital transformation, but still face a challenging threat landscape and more sophisticated attacks by bad actors,” said Assad Arabi, Managing Director, Gulf Cluster, Trend Micro. “The challenges of safeguarding digital activities with the hybrid work model have also prompted enterprises to reassess their security approach with robust, industry-leading security solutions. The annual cybersecurity report from Trend Micro provides insight into the evolving threat landscape and how organizations in the country can prepare for emerging threats and the follow measures required to protect their digital ambitions in the future.”