Tech Desk 
Feb 27, 2025
In a shocking development raising eyebrows and concerns about citizens' online safety, Pakistan registered a notable 18% rise in phishing attacks in 2024, whereas a 26% surge was recorded globally.
It was learned that cybercriminals lured unsuspecting users to take the bait of fraudulent offers, with a vast majority of attacks reportedly carried out during holiday seasons.
Citing data issued by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, The News reported that the company foiled over 893 million attacks in 2024, up from approximately 710 million the previous year.
50% of emails in corporate mailboxes were infected and labelled as spam or malware, and cybercriminals conducted numerous attacks under the guise of widely renowned brands like Booking.com, Airbnb, TikTok, Telegram and other social media platforms to reflect authenticity and steal credentials or inject malware into recipients' devices.
The report outlines that despite substantial efforts from watchdogs and the anti-cybercriminal authorities' crackdown on such attempts, over 125 million users encountered cyber attacks involving malicious email attachments last year.
Reflecting global trends, Pakistan underwent an 18% uptick in phishing scams, with the biggest chunk of attacks taking place between May and July, a period said to be marked by travel scams, including fraudulent airline and hotel bookings, and unbelievable discount offers on deceiving tour packages.
