The growing availability of Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platforms has also contributed to a surge in email-based attacks
Ransomware threats saw a staggering fourfold increase in 2024, largely fueled by the growing use of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS), according to Barracuda’s latest annual review of XDR detection and incident data. The report also highlights the rising sophistication of email-based cyber threats, with attacks slipping past security filters and reaching user inboxes emerging as one of the most detected risks of the year.
Throughout 2024, Barracuda Managed XDR monitored an immense volume of cyber activity, logging 11 trillion IT events—equating to approximately 350,000 events per second. From this dataset, analysts identified over a million potential risks and thousands of critical incidents that demanded immediate intervention. These findings provide key insights into the tactics cybercriminals employed to breach networks and disrupt businesses globally.
The report underscores that attackers are increasingly exploiting weak authentication measures, lax password policies, and gaps in user awareness about social engineering. Additionally, vulnerabilities in Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and improperly managed Remote Desktop Protocols (RDPs) continue to be major points of entry for cybercriminals.
The growing availability of Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platforms has also contributed to a surge in email-based attacks, which ranked as the fifth most common threat detected by XDR systems. These services enable attackers to launch highly sophisticated phishing campaigns, making them harder to detect and more effective at bypassing security controls.
‘As-a-Service’ Model Driving Sophisticated Cyber Threats
“The rise of as-a-service platforms is helping to power the growing sophistication, agility, and evasive nature of cyberattacks, from ransomware to phishing,” said Eric Russo, Director, SOC Defensive Security at Barracuda. “The developers behind these platforms often have the time, resources, and skills to invest heavily in advanced and evasive toolsets and templates. Organisations need deep, extended security to boost their defences and cyber resilience against such attacks.
“A comprehensive XDR solution that integrates network, endpoint, server, cloud, and email security means that every corner of the digital infrastructure is monitored and protected with advanced security measures and a full spectrum of defensive tools, combined with proactive threat hunting and response strategies.”
The report also sheds light on how the nature of cyberattacks has evolved. With advancements in security tools enabling quicker detection and response, threat actors have adapted by accelerating their attack timelines. Data from Barracuda Managed XDR in 2024 demonstrates how attackers are now executing their strategies at a much faster pace, making rapid and effective cybersecurity responses more critical than ever.
As organisations continue to face an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape, the findings highlight the urgent need for robust, multi-layered security strategies to combat evolving attack methods and safeguard critical digital assets.