by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – KASPERSKY is warning of cyber criminals increasingly using methods to escalate privileges and exploit weaknesses in digital systems.
There is a persistent trend in attacks targeting operating systems, including Linux, which are overshadowing other software categories as prime targets.
Kaspersky data shows that in 2024 operating systems emerged as the most prominent software category for publicly available exploits targeting vulnerabilities (accounting for 57,5 percent), followed by web browsers (5,4 percent) and MS Office applications (2,7 percent).
The number of Linux users encountering exploits rose in 2024 compared to 2023. Specifically, in Q4 2024, the share of such users was 1,5 times higher than in the same period of 2023.
Share of Linux users protected by Kaspersky solutions who faced vulnerability exploits in 2023-2024. Q1 2023 figures are 100 percent.
The list of vulnerabilities commonly exploited in Advanced Persistent Threat attacks highlights shifts in the software targeted by cybercriminals.
“Looking at 2024, we see several defining trends: a marked increase in the total number of registered vulnerabilities, a reduction in proof-of-concept exploits, and a steady share of vulnerabilities deemed critical by developers,” said Alexander Kolesnikov, a security expert at Kaspersky.
“These developments reflect the evolving sophistication of cyber threats and the urgent need for proactive defenses to stay ahead of attackers,” Kolesnikov said.
– CAJ News