That attractive online ad might be a malware trap

The report highlights a sharp rise in malvertising in 2025 — a 42% year-over-year increase — where scam campaigns, malicious redirects (e.g., GhostCat across 48 ad networks), and malware are distributed through the programmatic advertising supply chain. It emphasizes large financial impacts (around $41B in ad-fraud losses and $12.5B in malware/scam losses to consumers/businesses), attacker objectives (ransom/extortion and credential theft), an expanding attack surface including CTV, and the resulting erosion of consumer trust and publisher revenue.