Canada in Top 20 for COVID-Themed Threats Detected by Trend Micro
February 23, 2021
Globally, Trend Micro blocked 62.6 billion cyber threats in 2020

TORONTO, February 23, 2021 Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the leader in cloud security, today announced that Canada accounted for 153,584 of total COVID-themed cyber-threat detections last year, placing it in the list of Top 20 countries at the eighteenth spot.

Globally, the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network (SPN) detected nearly 16.4 million threats, consisting of malicious URLs, spam, and malware, over the course of 2020. The vast majority of these (88%) were email-borne spam threats. Examples of this include phishing attempts using COVID-19 as a lure in an attempt to steal personal and financial information.

Canada ranked ahead of Croatia and Turkey on the list of Top 20 countries, and behind Uruguay. The United States has the highest amount of COVID-themed cyber-threat detections with over 6 million.

“Canada’s position on this list indicates that users across the country are applying security best practices and are maintaining steady IT hygiene when it comes to enhanced threats developed during the pandemic,” said Greg Young, Vice President Cybersecurity at Trend Micro. “We know that there is always more to do when it comes to security, and advise consumers and businesses alike to ensure they are running secure devices and have the training they need to stay safe.”

In total, Trend Micro blocked over 62.6 billion cyber-threats in 2020, a 20% year-on-year increase. Attacks on home networks globally surged 209% to reach nearly 2.9 billion as cyber-criminals adapted quickly to the mass shift to distributed working caused by the pandemic.

Trend Micro’s 2020 Security Roundup report also revealed the detection of over 175 million phishing URLs during 2020 as attackers sought to target distracted home workers using potentially unsecured devices and networks.

To read the full report, please visit.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen™ security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com

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