Surge in 'Hunter-Killer' Malware Uncovered by Picus Security

Picus Security's Red Report 2024 analyzes 667,401 unique files (612,080 classified as malicious) and finds a major shift toward highly evasive and aggressive malware: a 333% increase in "hunter-killer" samples that attempt to disable defenses, 70% of malware now using stealth techniques, a 150% rise in obfuscation (T1027), and a 176% increase in application-layer protocol abuse (T1071) commonly used in ransomware double-extortion schemes; the report urges defense-in-depth, machine learning, credential protection, and continuous security validation.