The vast majority of phishing emails utilized ransomware software in the third quarter of 2016, according to a PhishMe report.
PhishMe, a provider of phishing defense platforms, reviewed the 689 malware analyses it conducted this past quarter. The company found that 97.25 percent of phishing emails contained ransomware, up from 92 percent in the first quarter of the year; PhishMe reported that Locky, a type of ransomware, dominates the phishing space.
"Not only does Locky distribution dwarf all other malware from 2016, it towers above all other ransomware varieties," said Aaron Higbee, CTO and Co-founder, PhishMe. "Our research has shown that the quarter-over-quarter number of analyses has been on a steady increase since the malware's introduction at the beginning of 2016. Thanks to its adaptability, it's showing no signs of slowing down."
The remaining 2.75 percent of phishing emails utilized "quiet malware," which can enter and maintain a presence in an organization's system for an extended period of time, often without detection.