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Cyber Attacks Continuing To Grow
Mike Sachoff
Staff Writer
2010-04-20
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Cyber attacks in 2009 saw continued growth in both volume and sophistication, according to Symantec's new "Internet Security Threat Report," released today.
 | | Cyber Attacks Continuing To Grow |  |
"Attackers have evolved from simple scams to highly sophisticated espionage campaigns targeting some of the world's largest corporations and government entities," said Stephen Trilling, senior vice president, Security Technology and Response, Symantec.
"The scale of these attacks and the fact that they originate from across the world, makes this a truly international problem requiring the cooperation of both the private sector and world governments."
Cybercrime attack toolkits have lowered the bar to entry for new cybercriminals, making it easy for unskilled attackers to compromise computers and steal information. One such toolkit called Zeus (Zbot), which can be purchased for $700, automates the process of creating customized malware capable of stealing personal information. Using kits like Zeus, attackers created literally millions of new malicious code variants in an effort to evade detection by security software.
In 2009 there was dramatic growth in the number of Web-based attacks targeted at PDF viewers; this accounted for 49 percent of observed Web-based attacks. This is a significant increase from the 11 percent reported in 2008.
The report found that malicious activity is now originating in countries with an emerging broadband infrastructure, such as Brazil, India, Poland, Vietnam and Russia. The findings indicate that government crackdowns in developed countries have led cybercriminals to launch their attacks from the developing world, where they are less likely to be prosecuted.
In 2009, spam made up 88 percent of all email observed by Symantec, with a high of 90.4 percent in May and a low of 73.7 percent in February. Among the 107 billion spam messages distributed globally per day on average, 85 percent were from botnets.
About the Author:
Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.
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