The Brazilian Malware Landscape: A Dime a Dozen and Going Strong

Cybercrime is undoubtedly one of Brazil’s greatest challenges. Unlike other parts of the world, Brazil is targeted mostly by local criminals.

Malware facilitates the most prolific type of cybercrime attacks in Brazil. Because Brazilian malware tends to be less sophisticated than malware made in Eastern Europe, cybercriminals in Brazil compensate with attack volume. This trend is beginning to change, however, as criminals are increasingly collaborating with Russian-speaking actors to buy and offer malware in the Brazilian cybercrime market.

Why do Brazilian cybercriminals rarely use advanced malware such as Zeus, Neverquest or Tinba? The answer is simple: No need to shoot a fly with a cannonball. If it works, that’s a good enough reason for cybercriminals to keep using it.

This blog post is part of my work with IBM X-Force. Read this complete blog is English or Portuguese here.