As technology advances, viruses and malware are becoming an ever-increasing threat. Every other day, we read or hear about a cyberattack or some malware hacking into our computers. Keeping your data protected is becoming an ever-increasing challenge because of the rapid pace at which malware and viruses are evolving and becoming more dangerous.

It goes without saying that the advancement of technology and the wide use of digital media is making expert attackers smarter by the day. Further, these cybercriminals take benefit of individuals and companies who pay less attention to cybersecurity. They target everything from a blog to an established online company to gain access to sensitive data. 

The average layman is at constant risk because most people are not properly protected. Thus the risk of falling prey to malware or virus attacks is a very real possibility. Having your i-phone, android, PC or Mac protected with a working anti-virus is essential particularly because cyber-criminals will go to any lengths to hack into your phone /computer and steal valuable data such as bank details, ID card information, personal photos, etc.

Cybersecurity is all about staying ahead of the threats rather than managing them later. The 10 latest and most dangerous virus and malware threats in 2024 that you need to protect yourself against are as follows:

1. Fake Windows Updates (Hidden Ransomware) 

There is an increasing trend by hackers to send emails instructing readers to urgently install windows OS updates. These so-called “latest” updates are nothing but ransomware ‘.exe’ files in disguise. This ransomware or “cyborg” as it is known, encrypts all your files and programs and demands a ransom payment to unencrypted the files. It is essential to use anti-virus that provides foolproof internet security because many email service providers and basic antivirus software neither able to detect nor block these emails.

2. Clop Ransomware

One of the latest and most dangerous ransomware threats, ‘Clop’ is malware that encrypts your files unless a ransom is paid to the hackers. This ransomware has evolved since its inception and has been known to target not just individual devices but entire networks.

3. RaaS or Ransomware as a Service

This is a growing industry wherein people who unfortunately lack the knowledge to carry out a ransomware attack pay to hire a professional hacker/team of hackers to carry out the attack for them.

4. Zeus Gameover

This is a Trojan that accesses your bank account details and steals all your money.

5. Fleece ware

This malware charges app users large amounts of money despite users deleting those apps.

6. News Malware Attacks

This is a method by which current news events are used by cyber-criminals to target people with malware.

7. Social Engineering

This is an alarming trend wherein the hacker uses human psychology and deception to gain access to a person’s personal information.

8. IoT device attacks

Hackers can easily target IoT devices because they don’t have sufficient storage to install security measures. The hacker can easily log into user accounts and steal sensitive information because these devices contain easy to access data.

9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Attacks

While AI and machine learning algorithms can combat malware, the downside is that these same technologies can be misused to hack networks and devices on an enormous scale. Owing to its ability to create a crucial impact on manufacturing, marketing, supply chain management, security, and other fields, AI has been finding its way into the business mainstream. However, AI has been proving to be a boon for cybercriminals too. The AI capabilities used to identify and break cyberattacks can also be used by hackers to launch sophisticated cyberattacks in the form of complicated and adaptive malicious software. 

10. Crypto-jacking

This malware uses a person’s computing power to “mine” cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

With cybercrime and malware attacks on the rise, it is of utmost importance that you use the best antivirus for your PC, Mac, Android, and IOS device. You must prioritize cybersecurity by setting up a security strategy to assess and classify the information you handle and the kind of security you need to protect them. Run a comprehensive security audit on a daily basis. At SPARK Services, our team of experts will help you defend yourself from cyberattacks. Contact us to safeguard your devices against all possible threats.