Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2019 were lucrative targets for cybercriminals. SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers recorded a double-digit malware spike (63 percent) in the U.S. between the eight-day holiday shopping window from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2.

Additional findings include:

• 129.3 million malware attacks (63 percent increase over 2018)
• 639,355 ransomware attacks (14 percent decrease over 2018)
• 51 percent increase in phishing attacks on Black Friday (compared to the average day in 2019)

In the U.S., both malware (130 percent) and ransomware attacks (69 percent) were up on Black Friday compared to 2018. This trend continued on Cyber Sunday with increases in malware (107 percent) and ransomware (9 percent).

Ransomware attacks were down on Cyber Monday (-41 percent) and Small Business Saturday (-55 percent), resulting in an overall 14 percent decrease in U.S. ransomware attacks during the eight-day shopping window. 

According to the report, Adobe Analytics found that consumers spent $7.4 billion online during this year’s Black Friday event, up $1.2 billion over 2018. On Cyber Monday retailers collected $9.4 billion in online sales on the frantic shopping holiday, the report says. 

In 2018, SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers discovered a spike in ransomware attacks during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping events, as well as a 45 percent jump in phishing attacks.

To learn more, visit SonicWall.