Cofense Annual Report Indicates 105% Increase in Malicious Emails Bypassing Secure Email Gateways

Cofense’s 2024 Annual State of Email Security Report reports a surge in email-borne threats, with record malicious emails bypassing secure email gateways (up 37% vs. 2022 and 310% vs. 2021), credential phishing up 67%, and major growth in QR code phishing (+331%) and Google AMP–abusing campaigns (+1,092% in late 2023). The report highlights evolving tactics like brand impersonation, vishing, and smishing, notes healthcare and finance as top targets, and flags malware activity including DarkGate, PikaBot (post‑Qakbot), Emotet, Agent Tesla/Snake Keylogger, and FormBook, as well as persistent BEC—underscoring limitations of traditional SEGs and the need for layered detection and response.