IT security firm Check Point Software has published its latest report on the security landscape for June. The report highlights AsyncRat — a remote access trojan (RAT) that has risen into the global top three malware families. AsyncRat leverages trusted platforms to distribute malicious code and infiltrate systems.
Cybercriminals continually refine their tactics, creating new methods to spread malware. Researchers at Check Point Research recently uncovered a campaign in which attackers hijacked expired Discord links to distribute malware. By exploiting users’ trust in legitimate platforms, threat actors can operate under the radar. These sophisticated techniques allow cybercriminals to bypass traditional defenses, infiltrate environments and exfiltrate data.
First identified in 2019, AsyncRat primarily targets Windows systems to exfiltrate information, download plug-ins, terminate processes and update its own code. In June 2025, 2.14 percent of Swedish organizations were affected, while the malware showed a global impact of 2.94 percent.
“This report highlights cybercriminals’ increasingly sophisticated methods for delivering malware covertly,” says Fredrik Sandström, security expert at Check Point Software. “It is critical that companies adopt advanced, proactive security measures to protect themselves against these threats.”
Alongside AsyncRat, FakeUpdates continues to dominate the threat landscape this month. Altogether, 13.39 percent of Swedish organizations experienced FakeUpdates infections — an increase of nearly eight percentage points compared with the previous month. In third place is Androxgh0st, affecting 4.27 percent of Swedish organizations.
Read more on Check Point’s blog: https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/june-2025-malware-spotlight-discord-exploits-lead-to-rising-threats/