Phishing, ransomware, social media scams, and mobile threats: Gen Digital’s latest report provides an overview of cyber threats in 2025.
Gen Digital’s Q4 2024 Threat Report paints a grim picture of cybersecurity. The past year saw a surge in attacks, with 2.55 billion threats blocked, or 321 attacks stopped every second—a 9% increase from 2023—according to the company’s data.
Cybercriminals have refined their strategies, relying heavily on social engineering, which accounts for 86% of attacks. Scams, phishing, and identity theft dominate the landscape.
This report, based on data from Gen’s leading cybersecurity brands ( Norton, Avast, AVG, etc.), provides a detailed analysis of threats targeting computers and mobile devices. Its methodology is based on rigorous monitoring of online attacks and a “risk rate” by country, providing an accurate overview of current cyber trends.
Social networks, a new playground for cybercriminals
Online threats have evolved: classic malware like Trojans and worms are no longer the only concern. Today, cybercriminals are relying on sophisticated scams that exploit not only technology but also user psychology. And their preferred hunting ground? Social media. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn have become major targets, attracting increasingly credible scams thanks to advances in AI. Deepfakes, text-to-speech, and ultra-personalized phishing make scams more realistic and difficult to detect, even for the most sophisticated internet users.
Scammers have found fertile ground on social media, exploiting its large user bases and varied features to trap unwary victims, notes Gen Digital.
The scale of the phenomenon is worrying. Facebook accounts for 56% of detected threats, far ahead of YouTube (26%) and X (7%). Cybercriminals adapt their strategies depending on the platform: fake stores on Instagram, fake technical support services on Facebook, and massive malvertising on YouTube. Financial scams, phishing, and e-commerce fraud are among the most widespread, capitalizing on users’ trust and urgency, particularly during shopping periods like Black Friday. More than ever, vigilance is required to navigate these platforms with confidence, where threats are omnipresent and constantly evolving.
Ransomware: an exploding threat
Ransomware is a type of malware used to extort money. The most common subtype encrypts documents, photos, videos, databases, and other files on the victim’s computer, rendering them unusable without decryption. To restore access to these files, attackers demand a ransom, hence the term ransomware.
Ransomware continued its alarming rise for a third consecutive quarter, with a 50% increase in attacks in the fourth quarter of 2024. This increase is part of an impressive trend, following a 100% increase in the third quarter and a 24% increase in the second quarter. The most affected countries are in South America, where attacks have exploded: Colombia and Uruguay (+400%), Brazil (+370%), Argentina (+300%), Venezuela (+290%), and Peru (+270%). The threat also extends to regions such as Mexico (+230%), Japan (+180%), France (+100%), and Canada (+100%).
In this landscape, certain ransomware programs are particularly noteworthy. Magniber remains the most widespread, accounting for 62% of detected infections. Among criminal groups, LockBit, one of the most active, has slowed down since the arrest of one of its developers, Rostislav Panev. However, the threat remains very real with the imminent announcement of LockBit 4.0. Furthermore, the Trigona ransomware has distinguished itself by a more devious strategy, masking its identity by redirecting victims to other groups. The rise of ransomware confirms an increasingly organized and sophisticated cybercrime, targeting both businesses and individuals.
Online scams and email threats: increasingly targeted attacks
While the end of 2024 marked a 13% decline in web threats compared to the previous quarter, online scams remain a pervasive threat in 2025. One of the most effective tactics today is malvertising, targeted malicious ads that redirect users to fraudulent sites. This phenomenon is amplified by social platforms, where cybercriminals leverage precise data to refine their traps. Among the most widespread scams are financial fraud, which exploded last quarter. These scams take various forms: fictitious investments, miracle products, and even fake medical offers. No region of the world is spared, with certain countries such as Slovakia (21.3% risk), Vietnam (20.69%), and the Czech Republic (19.87%) being among the most affected.
Email threats also remain a major gateway for cybercriminals. Fraudulent invoices imitating major brands, extortion emails requesting cryptocurrency payments, fake security alerts, and even lottery scams: scams are diversifying and targeting millions of users. In North America, Australia, and Europe (particularly France and the United Kingdom), these attacks have seen a notable increase, with a 13% increase in the United States and Canada. Among the most impersonated brands, Apple and its iCloud service are particularly targeted. Meanwhile, scams involving fake e-commerce sites dominate malicious emails, representing 51% of detected fraud attempts.
