Global mobile banking trojan attacks on Android users grew by a third in 2023, while cryptocurrency-related phishing also saw a sharp increase, according to a Kaspersky report.
The most prevalent banking trojan was Bian.h, accounting for 22% of all Android attacks. Geographically, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan recorded the highest share of users encountering banking trojans, with Turkey leading mobile banking malware attacks.
"With the emergence of new and aggressive malware strains, attackers are evolving their tactics to target mobile devices more aggressively. This underscores the imperative for individuals and businesses to maintain heightened vigilance, update protective measures, and fortify device security accordingly," says Igor Golovin, security expert, Kaspersky.
In contrast, the number of users affected by financial PC malware saw an 11% decline in 2023, with the Ramnit and Zbot families, targeting more than half of affected users. Consumers continued to be the primary target, comprising 61% of all attacks.
Kaspersky says it prevented nearly six million attempts to follow cryptocurrency-themed phishing links - a 16% increase on 2022. Scammers mimicked cryptocurrency exchanges and offered coins in the name of large enterprises like Apple.
More generally, financial phishing remains a major threat, accounting for 27% of all phishing attacks on corporate users and 31% of home users. PayPal phishing represents more than half of phishing pages targeting electronic payment system users.