Acronis today released the latest edition of its biannual report, the Acronis Cyberthreats Report, H2 2024: The rise of AI-driven threats. The Acronis Threat Research Unit (TRU)'s report found a significant rise in email cyberattacks -- a staggering 197% increase detected in H2 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a 21% rise in attacks per organization. From July to December 2024, nearly 50% of users were targeted by email-based attacks at least once.
Email attacks on managed service providers (MSPs) also increased, according to the report. Not surprisingly, phishing was the preferred attack vector for attackers to breach MSP networks, with 33% experiencing email phishing campaigns, Acronis found. This was closely followed by exploits targeting vulnerabilities in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and other remote access tools. This demonstrates how cybercriminals are leveraging common MSP practices to gain unauthorized access and deploy malicious payloads.
This trend is concerning: MSPs are increasingly targeted by advanced persistent threat (APT)-linked ransomware groups, which use espionage-style tactics like stolen credentials, social engineering, and supply chain attacks to infiltrate MSP networks and spread ransomware to client systems. This shift signals that MSPs are no longer opportunistic targets, but strategic entry points for high-stakes cyberattacks. Be careful out there, MSPs!
As always, drop me a line at sharon.florentine@cyberriskalliance.com if you have news to share or want to say hi!
Grab your coffee. Here's what you need to know today.
Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News
1. Cisco's new networking infrastructure: At Cisco Live Amsterdam, the company launched new networking infrastructure solutions designed to help customers build, secure and operate AI-ready data centers. A new Smart Switch embeds services directly into the network and converges networking and security into a single solution. Cisco also announced Agile Services Networking, a network architecture that enables service providers to monetize the delivery of assured services and network-as-a-servicefor AI connectivity, Cisco said.
2. Juniper introduces Wi-Fi 7 switches: In other networking news, Juniper is launching new Juniper Networks EX4000 Series Switches, which leverage AI- and cloud-native architecture for both wired/wireless experiences, including fast deployment, maximized uptime, zero-trust security, reduced operational costs, and seamless migration to Wi-Fi 7, the company said.
3. Pax8, Halcyon partnership: Anti-ransomware platform Halcyon has joined forces with Pax8 to bring next-gen ransomware protection to Pax8’s partner ecosystem. This strategic partnership integrates Halcyon’s anti-ransomware platform into the Pax8 Marketplace, making it available to partners and their customers to defend against ransomware attacks that bypass traditional security measures.
4. ControlUp for Apps: Digital employee experience (DEX) platform ControlUp launched ControlUp for Apps, a new addition to its ControlUp ONE DEX platform. ControlUp for Apps provides real-time visibility and proactive management for SaaS and web applications across hybrid and composite employee workspaces, allowing IT teams to quickly identify and resolve issues specific to employee experiences or broader systemic problems without needing specialized SaaS expertise.
5. Parallels introduces new partner program: Virtualization and end-user computing solutions provider Parallels introduced its “Elevate Now” Partner Program. The program is aimed at driving value and profitability for resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), and system integrators (SI), the company said.
