According to Check Point, in the last quarter of 2021 there were over 900 weekly cyber-attacks per organization recorded. In 2021, there was a 50% increase in overall attacks per week on corporate networks compared to the previous year.
The Journal of Accountancy recently published an article on the alarming rise in cyberattacks occurring in the last three months of 2021 related to Microsoft Excel. The article cited the Q4 2021 Threat Insights Report from HP Wolf Security, which detected a 588% rise in campaigns using malicious Microsoft Excel add-in (XLL) files intended to infect computer systems. This is particularly alarming, as this number reflects an increase compared only to the previous three months.
Cyberattacks using malicious add-in files were deployed through emails with .XLL attachments or links. When the recipient opened the attachment or link, they were prompted to install the Excel add-in. Just one click activated the malicious malware.
The Threat Insights Report recommends three steps each organization can take to protect themselves for these Excel attacks:
- Configure email gateway to block inbound emails containing XLL attachments
- Configure Microsoft Excel to permit add-ins only by trusted publishers
- Configure Microsoft Excel to disable add-ins
Cyberattacks can disrupt operations and put the finances and data of businesses at risk. For more information on this topic, see the reference links below.
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