Acronis Report Reveals a 197% Surge in Email Attacks and the Rise of AI-Driven Cyber Threats
In the digital world, an unseen war is escalating. It’s not fought with tanks or missiles but with malicious code, phishing emails, and ransomware. Cybercriminals are evolving, harnessing artificial intelligence and advanced persistent threats (APTs) to infiltrate organizations worldwide. And now, a new report from Acronis has exposed just how rapidly the battlefield is changing.
For businesses, especially managed service providers (MSPs), the stakes have never been higher. The Acronis H2 2024 Cyberthreats Report reveals a staggering 197% increase in email-based attacks, a 21% rise in attacks per organization, and a growing trend of APT-linked ransomware groups using MSPs as a gateway to infiltrate global networks.
Cybercriminals No Longer Hunt—They Strategize
For years, cyberattacks were often opportunistic, relying on careless clicks and weak passwords. But the latest data suggests a shift in tactics. Sophisticated cybercrime syndicates are treating MSPs as high-value targets, using AI-generated phishing campaigns, stolen credentials, and social engineering to gain access. Once inside, they deploy ransomware at scale, crippling businesses and demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms.
Gerald Beuchelt, CISO at Acronis. “This release highlights the alarming rise of AI-generated attacks and the increasing sophistication of ransomware campaigns.”
“The cyberthreats report from the Acronis Threat Research Unit serves as our biannual pulse on the cybersecurity landscape, offering critical insights into the latest attack trends and vulnerabilities,” says Gerald Beuchelt, CISO at Acronis. “This release highlights the alarming rise of AI-generated attacks and the increasing sophistication of ransomware campaigns. By analyzing trends and providing actionable recommendations, the report empowers organizations, MSPs, and the cybersecurity industry to proactively strengthen their defenses.”
A Global Crisis Unfolds
The Acronis report doesn’t just outline the threats—it quantifies them:
- Nearly 50% of users were targeted by email attacks at least once between July and December 2024.
- Ransomware cases surged, with 1,712 incidents reported in Q4, primarily from groups like RansomHub, Akira, Play, and KillSec.
- Acronis blocked over 48 million malicious URLs in Q4 2024, a 7% increase from Q3.
- The UAE, Singapore, and Italy emerged as the most targeted nations for malware attacks, with the UAE leading in blocked malicious URLs (16.2%).
The Hidden Danger of RMM Tools
One unexpected insight from the report is the vulnerability of remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools. These essential IT solutions, widely used for efficiency, are now becoming a favored entry point for cybercriminals. Many organizations rely on multiple RMM tools without proper security controls, leaving dangerous gaps for ransomware attacks to exploit.
The Future of Cybersecurity: A Race Against AI
The cyber arms race is no longer just between security teams and hackers—it’s between AI-driven defense mechanisms and AI-powered attacks. The Acronis Cyberthreats Report predicts that as cybercriminals refine their tactics, businesses must adopt Zero Trust security models, strengthen their MSP defenses, and invest in AI-powered cybersecurity solutions.
