Danger: When Email Viruses Attack

So we all know sharks like to attack at dusk and dawn. It’s typical for predators to display a pattern of behavior and to launch their attacks when they have the greatest chances of success. I can hear the Jaws theme song now. The good news is that it’s no different for cybercriminals who craft nasty email viruses. The bad news is that mornings are no longer safe.

According to a Global Security Report by Trustwave, email threats peak between 8am and 9am EST. So go ahead and grab your coffee, but whatever you do, steer clear of your inbox. The trend makes sense when you think about it. Most people check their email when they arrive at the office. And so the criminals are cleverly trying to capitalize on this high traffic period by sending you a collection of viruses and executables straight to your inbox.

After analyzing 16 billion emails over three years, the study revealed some interesting facts. Not only is there a prime-time hour, but also some months are hotter than others. Indeed, August sees a noticeable spike and the most dangerous month is actually September. I guess the hackers are trying to catch us in vacation mode?

Ok so what are the cybercriminals looking for? Your customer records of course. It’s like a moth to a flame. Out of all the data breaches investigated in this study, 89% were stolen customer records. Yeowza! And the costs are astronomical too! At $308 per compromised record due to criminal activity, you could lose your shirt and your business if you’re not careful.

So tighten your grip on your customer records and ask yourself if your organization is prepared to handle these sophisticated cyber attacks.