In a comprehensive analysis of financial cyberthreats in 2024, Kaspersky researchers have uncovered a significant increase in mobile banking malware attacks.
The number of users affected by these threats has skyrocketed to nearly 248,000, marking a 3.6-fold increase compared to the previous year’s 69,000 affected users.
The Mamont Trojan Leads the Charge
The Mamont Trojan emerged as the most prolific mobile banking malware family in 2024, accounting for 36.7% of all detected attacks.
This malware, which first appeared in late 2023, primarily targets users in Russia and CIS countries.
Cybercriminals employing Mamont utilize a wide range of social engineering tactics, from classic “Is that you in the picture?” scams to more sophisticated schemes involving fake online stores and delivery tracking applications.
Global Impact and Evolving Threat Landscape
Turkey remained the prime target for mobile banking malware, with 5.68% of users encountering financial threats, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from the previous year.
Other countries experiencing heightened malicious activity included Indonesia (2.71%), India (2.42%), and Azerbaijan (0.88%).
The report also highlighted shifts in the malware ecosystem. While the previously dominant Bian.h variant saw a significant decline, dropping to eighth place with only 3.02% of attacks, new threats emerged.
Notable newcomers include Agent.rj, securing the second position with 11.14% of attacks, and UdangaSteal.b and Coper.c, which entered the top rankings.
Kaspersky’s findings underscore the evolving nature of financial cyberthreats, with attackers continuously refining their tactics to exploit mobile users.
The dramatic increase in mobile banking malware infections serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for mobile devices, especially those used for financial transactions.
To mitigate these risks, experts recommend using multi-factor authentication, downloading apps only from official marketplaces, and employing reliable security solutions capable of detecting both malware and phishing attacks.
As the digital finance landscape expands, staying vigilant and informed about emerging threats remains crucial for both individual users and businesses alike.
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