# Cloud-based Email Threats Capitalized on Chaos of COVID-19 
Published: 2021-03-15
Category: Technology
Category URL: https://companiesdigest.com/category/technology/
Meta Title: Trend Micro Cloud App Security: Blocking 16.7 Million Email Threats
Meta Description: Find out how Trend Micro Cloud App Security blocked 16.7 million high-risk email threats in 2020, providing second-layer protection for popular SaaS apps.
URL: https://companiesdigest.com/cloud-based-email-threats-capitalized-on-chaos-of-covid-19/

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_Trend Micro intercepted a surge in malware, phishing and credential theft_

[**Trend Micro Incorporated**](https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3075027-1&h=3243523507&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trendmicro.com%2F&a=Trend+Micro+Incorporated) (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the leader in cloud security, today revealed that it blocked 16.7 million high-risk email threats that slipped past webmail providers’ native filters. This amounts to an increase of nearly a third on 2019 figures.

The new statistics are provided by Trend Micro’s Cloud App Security (CAS), an API-based solution that provides second-layer protection for Microsoft Exchange Online, Gmail, and a host of other services.

“COVID-19 forced many organizations to accelerate their digital adoption plans, and SaaS apps have become indispensable to remote workers. However, where there are users, there are also threats and we’ve seen a spike in attacks targeting organizations’ perceived weakest link during the pandemic,” said **Wendy Moore, vice president of product marketing for Trend Micro**. “Trend Micro Cloud App Security has been indispensable in providing an extra layer of protection — each one of those nearly 17 million threats previously missed represents a risk of corporate data theft, ransomware and fraud.”

Detections of malware, credential theft and phishing emails all recorded double-digit year-on-year increases in 2020, while BEC volumes dropped slightly.

**Malware-laden emails:** Trend Micro detected 1.1 million emails containing malware that would otherwise have appeared in users’ inboxes, up 16% on 2019 figures. These included many Emotet and Trickbot attacks which are often the precursor to targeted ransomware.

**Phishing:** Trend Micro intercepted over 6.9 million phishing emails in 2020, a 19% increase from the previous year. Discounting credential phishing, the number of threats in this category surged 41% over the period. COVID-19 was a common lure, as were big-name brands like Netflix that have become popular during the pandemic. Attackers were typically looking for personal and financial information to monetize.

**Credential phishing:** Trend Micro detected nearly 5.5 million attempts to steal users’ credentials that were allowed through by existing cloud native security filters. This was a 14% increase on 2019 and accounted for the vast majority of detected phishing emails. Attackers are increasingly supplementing these with phone-based vishing attacks.

**Business email compromise (BEC):** Although BEC detections declined 18% year-on-year, average losses continue to rise — increasing 48% from the first to the second quarter of 2020.

Trend Micro Cloud App Security offers comprehensive multi-layered protection for platforms such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace via:

- **Machine learning-powered Writing Style DNA to spot BEC**
- **Computer vision and AI for credential phishing detection**
- **Sandbox malware analysis**
- **Document exploit detection**
- **File, email, and web reputation technologies**
- **Data loss prevention (DLP)**
- **Trend Micro Vision One, a comprehensive XDR solution providing investigation, detection, and response across your endpoints, email, network, and servers.**


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