If you wake up and receive a message from an unknown number or email address, it could be a hacker.
A cyber expert warns that 94 percent of personal cyberattacks occur between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
This is a key time for hackers to infiltrate systems, as systems that detect online scams are at their most vulnerable.
People are expected to be extra vigilant in these times when opening attachments or shopping online.
Businesses are most vulnerable between 1 and 5 a.m. and on holidays, when IT staff are less likely to monitor systems for potential attacks.
“We see ransomware attacks happening (in the early morning), when defenders are less vigilant and users are less active,” Alex Holden, Chief Information Security Officer for Hold Security, LLC, told DailyMail.com.
‘Even interactive attacks like phishing can happen in the early morning hours, when a user is more likely to give permission for data to be released and much less likely to raise the alarm.’
Hackers use phishing emails to trick people into clicking on a malicious attachment in order to obtain financial information or data or disrupt systems.
According to a report from cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, which conducted the research, the number of ransomware attacks will increase dramatically in 2023. In the US, a shocking 63 percent increase in known attacks was recorded.
The data was collected by monitoring information that ransomware gangs published on their dark web sites.
Malwarebytes also looked at overall ransomware trends based on observations by incident response teams, including ThreatDown Managed Detection and Response analysts who handle hundreds of cases each month.
The report found that consumers are more likely to fall victim to ransomware gangs than organizations because organizations are run like businesses and are more focused on making money than who becomes the victim.
“Most attacks are focused on financial gain, such as ransomware to hijack and extort companies, data theft, stealing critical data and threatening to release it on the dark web or to competitors,” said Gallant, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Adaptive Office Solutions.
The report found that a worrying number of ransomware attacks are coming from abroad, with 70 percent of all ransomware payments going to Russian-speaking gangs
According to the Malwarebytes report, the increase in ransomware attacks worldwide is greatest in the US, with about half of all known attacks taking place there.
According to the cyber insurance company DeloitteAbout 91 percent of cyber and ransomware attacks start with a phishing email, usually sent at night.
“The perpetrators are well aware of the victims’ opening hours,” Holden said.
“If time permits, bad actors typically attempt to launch their attacks over the weekend or later in the evening, counting on little to no IT staff.”
“Too often, victims wake up on Monday morning in an unpleasant state,” he continued, adding that victims’ data is often misused on a massive scale and then sold on the black market.
Americans’ bank details, social security numbers and other personal information are stolen during the four-hour window
“Even if the malware (victims) are tricked into not installing ransomware, a lot of malware can download other malware,” Mark Stockley, cybersecurity expert at Malwarebytes, told DailyMail.com.
“If the malware administrator thinks he can make money by installing ransomware, then he will.”
Experts warned that people should not shop online during the four-hour window, as there is a greater risk of unknowingly clicking on a malicious link. They should also refrain from clicking on links sent from an unknown email address or mobile phone number.
Americans should take extra steps to protect themselves, such as setting up two-factor authentication, using strong passwords, updating outdated software on their devices, and being cautious about installing unknown or unapproved software.