Emotet is still the world s worst malware - but maybe not for long TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Emotet is still the world s worst malware - but maybe not for long By Sead Fadilpašić published 11 August 2022 Emotet operators seem to be taking a holiday (Image credit: Shutterstock) Audio player loading… One of the world's most infamous trojans/malware/droppers, Emotet, seems to be running out of steam a little as the summer holidays begin. Check Point Research's recent Global Threat Index for July 2022 found Emotet's global impact, compared to June, fell by 50% - but warned that it's still the reigning champion among malware and that won't change any time soon. "Emotet continues to dominate our monthly top malware charts," said Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software. "This botnet continually evolves to maintain its persistence and evasion. Its latest developments include a credit card stealer module, meaning that enterprises and individuals must take extra care when making any online purchases. In addition, with Microsoft now confirming that it will block macros by default, we await to see how malwares, such as Snake Keylogger, may change their tactics." Emotet still far ahead Last month was Emotet's peak, the researchers further stated, adding that the trojan is now back to its standard global impact numbers. While it's hard to determine exactly what caused this drop, the researchers are speculating it's most likely just due to the summer holidays, and not because the threat actor is backing out. Emotet constantly introducing new features is evidence to such claims. That being said, Emotet is still the world's most widespread malware, with a global impact of 7%. With 3%, Formbook takes second place, followed by XMRig with a 2% global impact. Formbook is a six-year-old infostealer for Windows, marketed as malware-as-a-service, and capable of stealing data from web browsers, collecting screenshots, logging keystrokes, and downloading and executing files. Read more> Google Chrome user profiles under attack from Emotet malware (opens in new tab) > Emotet malware impersonates IRS as 2022 tax season approaches (opens in new tab) > Keep your business safe with the best endpoint protection (opens in new tab) XMRig, on the other hand, is a well-known cryptominer, a piece of software that mines the XMR (Monero) cryptocurrency for attackers. While XMRig isn't exactly a virus (opens in new tab), and doesn't necessarily steal data or destroy the endpoint it's installed on, it does use up the majority of the computing power, leaving the device sluggish and underperforming.These are the best firewalls (opens in new tab) right now Sead Fadilpašić Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he's written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He's also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4RTX 4090 too expensive? Nvidia resurrects another old favorite5More than one million credit card details leaked online1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip3If this feature succeeds for Modern Warfare 2, Microsoft can't ignore it4Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month5The Rings of Power episode 8 trailer feels like one big Sauron misdirect Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)