RedCanary Threat Detection Report for 2024

Keypoints

• Most cybersecurity vendors’ annual reports are structured into sections such as Introduction, Methodology, Trends, Threats, Techniques, and Industry Analysis, offering comprehensive insights into the threat landscape and detection strategies.
• These reports typically include key statistics like millions of security events analyzed, hundreds of thousands of confirmed threats detected, and detection analytics applied across thousands of endpoints and cloud resources.
• Major trends identified in recent reports include the rise of cloud account compromise (a 16-fold increase in detection), persistent ransomware activity focused on precursors, and increased use of AI, container security concerns, and macOS threats.
• Recurring threats encompass well-known malware and tools such as Mimikatz, Qbot, SocGholish, and Raspberry Robin, with adversaries exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems, employing social engineering, and leveraging supply chain weaknesses.
• The reports reveal evolving adversary tradecraft, including new tactics for initial access (e.g., SEO poisoning, malvertising), lateral movement (using RMM tools and credential dumping), and identity attacks (phishing, MFA bypass, SIM swapping). These insights guide organizations in prioritizing detection and mitigation efforts.
• Data-driven analysis enables security teams to understand technique prevalence, attack pathways, and sector-specific threats, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring, patching, and advanced detection analytics in defense strategies.
• Finally, these vendor reports often include recommendations for detection opportunities, threat emulation, and proactive defense measures, supporting organizations in enhancing their cybersecurity posture against sophisticated and emerging threats.