Monday Morning Impact – February 24

Published On: February 23, 2025Categories: Buzz

Acronis Reports Rise in Ransomware, AI-Driven Attacks, and Malware Risks

Acronis, a Swiss cybersecurity company, has released a new market research report that reveals a significant rise in email cyberattacks; a 197% increase detected in H2 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a 21% rise in attacks per organization. From July to December 2024, nearly 50% of users were targeted by email-based attacks at least once.

Email attacks on managed service providers (MSPs) also increased. Not surprisingly, phishing was the preferred attack vector for attackers to breach MSP networks, with 33% experiencing email phishing campaigns. This was closely followed by exploits targeting vulnerabilities in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and other remote access tools. This demonstrates how cybercriminals are leveraging common MSP practices to gain unauthorized access and deploy malicious payloads, according to the report. MSPs are increasingly targeted by advanced persistent threat (APT)-linked ransomware groups, posing a significant and growing risk. These sophisticated actors employ espionage-style tactics, including stolen credentials, social engineering, and supply chain attacks, to infiltrate MSP networks and spread ransomware to client systems. This shift signals that MSPs are no longer opportunistic targets but have become strategic entry points for high-stakes cyberattacks.

Among the other key findings, 31.4% of all emails received in H2 2024 were spam, with 1.4% containing malware or phishing links. More than 1,700 ransomware cases were reported in Q4 2024, with notable activity from RansomHub, Akira, Play, and KillSec, accounting for 580 victims. The Cl0p ransomware group emerged as a key threat in December, with 68 reported victims.

The United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Italy were the most targeted countries for malware attacks in December 2024.

“This release highlights the alarming rise of AI-generated attacks and the increasing sophistication of ransomware campaigns,” said Gerald Beuchelt, CISO at Acronis. “By analyzing trends from the first half of 2024 and providing actionable recommendations, the report empowers organizations, MSPs, and the cybersecurity industry to proactively strengthen their defenses to stay ahead of today’s most pressing risks.”

The report also says that as remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools become more widely adopted for efficiency, they introduce significant risks to organizational security. Telemetry data from the report reveals that many organizations use multiple RMM tools simultaneously, creating blind spots that attackers can exploit. Without the proper controls, RMM tools can become entry points for ransomware attacks, which cybercriminals often use to cause even greater damage.

Channel Impact^®
In addition to new data and analysis from the first half of 2024, the report provides a complete overview of the top vulnerabilities exploited in 2024 and predictions for 2025, alongside actionable recommendations to help organizations and MSPs strengthen their defenses against emerging threats.

CompTIA: Tech Employment off to a Strong Start

Technology companies and employers throughout the economy added tech workers in January, while also increasing job listings for future hiring, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics by CompTIA, a suburban Chicago-based industry association.

The research reveals that employment by tech sector companies increased by a net 6,787 positions in January. Robust hiring of personnel in IT services and software development occupations (+13,700) offset reductions in telecommunication jobs (-7,900). Across all sectors of the economy tech occupations grew by estimated 228,000 for the month. The tech unemployment rate increased to 2.9%, compared to the national rate of 4% for January.

“Tech hiring activity was solid across the key categories,” said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA. “Employers continue to balance the need for foundational tech talent and skills with the push into next gen fields.”

New employer job listings for tech positions increased by 51,756 in January, to more than 220,000. The total of active job postings for the month was more than 476,000.

CompTIA’s analysis shows 49 states plus the District of Columbia saw increases in tech job postings last month. California (+9,834), Texas (+4,256), Illinois (+3,476), Virginia (+2,101), New York (+2,083) and Florida (+2,059) recorded the largest month over month increases. Metropolitan areas that experienced big jumps in tech job postings included San Jose, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Dallas.

Employer hiring spanned every sector of the economy, with a broad mix of company types pursuing tech talent. On a month-over-month percent change basis the positions with some of the highest gains in job posting volumes include UI/UX designers (+54%), data scientists (+52%), data analysts (+47%), tech support specialists (+38%) and systems analysts (+38%).

Channel Impact^®
Conclusions based on open reqs and related advertising look encouraging.

Rapid7 Launches New Global PACT Partner Program

Rapid7, Inc., a Boston-based cybersecurity company, has launched a new PACT Partner Program to equip partners with additional tools, training, and resources amidst an increasingly complex global threat landscape.

Key elements of the new program include a redesigned partner portal plus a new partner training academy to deliver practical skills and technical knowledge through a variety of competency-based courses and certifications – including new specializations to support the MSSP business model and delivery. Courses are tailored to the sales and pre-sales technical roles, as well as specialized curriculum to enable partners to deliver their own post-sales services.

“We made this significant program update to ensure our partners were enabled and supported to drive maximum impact in line with their near and long-term business objectives,” said Alex Page, vice president of global channel sales at Rapid7. “Together, we know we can provide our joint customers the most robust solutions to help them take command of their attack surface.”

Channel Impact^®
The updated program is designed to empower and unite all partner types under a single framework that offers tailored engagement opportunities and sets clear performance expectations.

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