Antivirus specialist Luis Corrons believes that ransomware attacks will increase in Mexico and the rest of the world in 2022. He warned that new cyberattacks consist of fake audios of people to impersonate them and commit scams.
According to various sources, there has been a rise in cyberattacks during the pandemic worldwide. In Mexico, hackers increased their ransomware attacks by 127% in the first five months of 2021, compared to the last five months of 2020. A study by Avast security evangelist Luis Corrons indicates that those attacks will continue to grow globally.
Ransomware attacks consist of hijacking information from the victims directly on their devices. Hackers demand a certain amount of money, usually in Bitcoin (BTC) or Monero (XMR). The attackers promise to release the data once they receive the payment.
The specialist said that the study included a global comparison between the first months of 2021 and the second part of 2020. Its objective was to see how cyberattacks evolved, which allowed them to see an increase of 38%.
Corrons believes that the growing use of cryptocurrencies will drive ransomware attacks even more. He suggested that the malware aimed at computers to steal Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) will increase by next year.
There Are Borderless Attacks to steal Bitcoin and Altcoins
The antivirus specialist added ransomware attackers seek Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with no geographic limitation. For that reason, he recommends using hardware wallets, physical devices housing the private key of the associated offline accounts. He explained that they allow users to sign their transactions without exposing the seed.
Besides Mexico, other countries like the United States and Spain have also suffered ransomware attacks. About four months ago, the US government established measures to sanction people and companies that paid ransoms in cryptocurrencies.
Hackers Make Cyberattacks with Fake Audios of Real People
With over 20 years of experience in the security industry, Corrons has specialized in developing antivirus software. Besides explaining the subject of ransomware attacks, he has warned about new cyberattacks with fake audios.
That attack method of using the voice of real people to impersonate them and commit scams. As many work from home, they often use more audio in face-to-face conversations. For that reason, Corrons said those scams would increase at a global level.
He predicted that hackers would not use this method massively but mainly aim it at companies. They would try to deceive employees and accountants by posing as CEOs. Then, they would seek to convince them to transfer money in cryptocurrencies.
To conclude, Corrons said that the best way to take care of funds is by keeping apps and programs up to date. He recommends using two-factor authentication and continually changing passwords.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have proved to be an excellent way to store value in the long term. For that reason, hackers conduct cyberattacks to request their victims for payments in the form of crypto assets. To protect their holdings, investors should follow the advice of experts like Corrons.
By Alexander Salazar
