Attacks using different “offline” techniques, such USB drives and portable media, are becoming more common as companies place more emphasis on protecting their internet networks.
Kaspersky identified and stopped about 2 crore malware assaults on Indian organizations’ devices in 2024 alone. This statistic emphasizes how urgently businesses must fortify their defenses against intrusions coming from detachable media and USB devices.
Offline on-device attacks exploit physical objects, including external hard drives, USB drives, or other portable media, to infect a target machine with malicious software. These assaults take advantage of people’s faith in physical gadgets, in contrast to conventional cyberattacks that depend on internet access.
“Last year, our researchers discovered a secure USB drive, designed by a government agency for secure file storage and transfer in high-sensitivity environments, had been compromised. The drive’s access management software was infected with malicious code, which was engineered to steal confidential data from the secure partition. The malware also functioned as a USB worm, propagating itself to other compatible drives and amplifying the risk of widespread infection. This is a real example of the danger each local threat can pose to organizations and businesses,” explains Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky.
Between January and December 2024, a total of 1,95,47,644 local threats were prevented by Kaspersky solutions utilized by SEA enterprises. This is 12% more than the almost 1,75 crore offline attacks that occurred in 2023.
“Local threats, such as malware delivered via USB drives or removable media, are among the most dangerous cybersecurity risks businesses face today. These attacks bypass traditional online defenses, exploit human curiosity, and can rapidly spread across networks, leading to data breaches, operational disruptions, and significant financial losses. Businesses must prioritize protecting against these threats, as they often target the weakest link in cybersecurity—human behavior—and can cause irreparable damage to both reputation and operations,” adds Singh.
In order to prevent becoming targets of a targeted offline attack, Kaspersky researchers advise people and organizations to:
- Provide your SOC team with access to the latest threat intelligence (TI).
- Kaspersky Threat Intelligence is a single point of access for the company’s TI, providing it with cyberattack data and insights gathered by Kaspersky spanning over 20 years.
- Upskill your cybersecurity team to tackle the latest targeted threats with Kaspersky online training developed by GReAT experts.
- Implement a corporate-grade security solution that detects advanced threats at the network level at an early stage, such as the Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack Platform.
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Use centralized and automated solutions such as Kaspersky Next XDR Expert to enable comprehensive protection of all your assets;
- Introduce security awareness training and teach practical skills to your team – for example, through the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, as many targeted attacks start with phishing or other social engineering techniques.
- Update OS and software as soon as possible and do so regularly.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
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