Check Point Software Technologies published its Global Threat Index for November, which reveals that FormBook was the dominant malware with a 3% impact on global organizations. This information theft program was followed by the FakeUpdates JavaScript downloader, with a global impact of 2%, and the Remcos Trojan, also with a prevalence rate of 2%.

In Portugal, FakeUpdates rose to the top as the dominant malware in the country last month, followed by FormBook. In third place, as in the whole world, comes Remcos.

The company’s researchers warn that FakeUpdates is back at the top of the malware list after a two-month hiatus and that the malware’s distribution structure uses compromised websites to trick users into executing fake browser updates.

Last month, the education/research sector remained the most exploited worldwide, followed by the communications and public administration/defense sector. At the national level, the areas of activity most vulnerable to attack were communications, health and public utilities.

“November’s cyberthreats demonstrate how threat actors are using seemingly innocuous methods to infiltrate networks,” explains Maya Horowitz, vice president of research at Check Point Software. “The resurgence of FakeUpdates highlights a trend in which attackers are using deceptive simplicity to bypass traditional defenses,” the official adds. This highlights the need for organizations to adopt a multi-layered security approach that not only relies on identifying known threats, but also has the ability to identify, prevent, and respond to new attack vectors before they cause damage.