VIPRE Security Group , a global leader and award-winning cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection company, has unveiled its Q2 2024 Email Threat Trends Report. The report highlights the ingenuity of cyber criminals in using AI to evade detection and maliciously scam individuals and enterprises. VIPRE processed 1.8 billion emails globally, detecting 226.45 million spam emails and 16.91 million malicious URLs to identify the email threat trends that impact enterprises the most.
The high stakes of Business Email Compromise (BEC)
BEC remains a major scourge. Nearly half (49%) of all detected spam emails are attributed to BEC scams, with the CEO, followed by HR and IT, being the most common targets. It takes on a more sinister complexion when a full 40% of the BEC emails uncovered were AI-generated, and in some instances, AI likely created the entire message.
Double the malicious attachments
Q2 2024 saw twice as many evasive malicious attachments compared to the previous year, underlining the sophistication of modern email exploits. Entities without measures to detect these advanced threats could find themselves in hot water, facing double the risk compared to 12 months ago.
