MetaDefender Blog

Some people look at cloud storage and see a digital data warehouse.

Others look at it as an active collaboration hub.

Whichever the case, the cloud is an active, alive infrastructure where files are constantly uploaded, shared, used, and downloaded.

Every time a file is moved, either through uploads, downloads, or internal sharing, an opportunity for a cyberattack appears.

Files in transit are getting the work done, being a legitimate day-to-day workflow. Users tend to trust files more when they come from known sources.

At the heart of this escalating crisis is AI, which has transformed the digital landscape into an increasingly unpredictable environment.

To better understand this worrying reality, we analysed over 100,000 file scans from MetaDefender Cloud Community.

Clicking on a link is one of the most auto-pilot online behaviors; we do it in a matter of second, with zero second thought.

And yet, such a reflex move can trigger a cyberattack with unfixable consequences. Especially when no malicious link scanning or secure link checker is used beforehand.

In 2025, an estimated 376 billion emails were sent and received daily on a global scale, many of which contain links that are never checked with a URL threat analysis tool before being clicked.

These emails can (and will) be exploited by cybercriminals, particularly when phishing URL detection is absent:

The New Reality of File Scanning

In August 2025, Nextron researchers uncovered a Linux backdoor, later named Plague, which left no forensic traces.

In fact, the backdoor had lived inside the system for months, even if several variants of Plague have been uploaded to VirusTotal, with no public detection rules and no confirmed sightings in the wild.

If such sophisticated threats can slip past traditional antivirus defenses, can we truly consider ourselves safe online?

Introduction

Hackers have been a community since 1969, when MIT students began modifying hardware and software to push limits. What started as a culture of collaboration driven by curiosity and improvement has evolved into something far more dangerous.

Today, organized cybercriminal groups and even nation-states share tools, tactics, and malware across borders to inflict real-world damage. The adversaries are already working together - and they're winning.

According to a 2024 Sophos study, 59% of businesses were hit by ransomware in the last 12 months.

The Need for a Safe Place for Malware Analysis & Collaboration

What is MetaDefender Cloud Community?

MetaDefender Community is an online, freestanding file scan and analysis tool which enables researchers, security pros, developers, and all security-conscious people to perform online multiscanning and malware analysis on file, URLs, IPs, and file hashes.

Main Challenges in Securing Cloud-Based Files

Cloud adoption has unlocked enormous benefits: easier access, faster collaboration, and more flexible work. But with these benefits come new risks. Files now move across dozens of tools, platforms, and devices every day - and each step adds potential new vulnerabilities.

While traditional antivirus remains a first line of defense, modern file-borne threats often go undetected. Hidden scripts, weaponized PDFs, malicious URLs, or compromised third-party libraries can slip past single-layer protection. To stay secure, individuals and organizations need smarter, multi-layered defenses that address the real-world challenges of cloud-based file sharing.

Maintaining Control Over Cloud File Distribution