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Info Theft Threats Will Rise Through 2007
David Utter
Staff Writer
2007-08-16
 Security News RSS Feed
The last half of the year looks like it will be accompanied by a continued rise in information stealing malware.
It may seem like an obvious message to the security pros reading this, but forewarned is forearmed as the saying goes. Secure Computing predicted the greatest threats to computer users will increase through the year.
Backdoor installers and information stealers drive the engines of the profiteers who push out these threats all over the Internet.
"Information-stealing malware now accounts for approximately 10 percent of all the threats tracked; this is up from 8 percent in January. The report also shows an anticipated ongoing trend from malware directly attached to emails, towards messages that link to web-hosted malware," the company said of their research into these threats.
"Trojans continue to dominate the malware scene, accounting for nearly 63 percent of all newly-discovered variants. This is also up from 58 percent in January. And, Windows Executable Files remain the most popular vector for distributing new attacks."
Downloader Trojans comprised over 41 percent of all malware types, excluding self-replicating malware, seen by Secure Computing through July 2007. Research firm Gartner has predicted that "financially-motivated targeted attacks using undetectable professional-grade malware are projected to have infected 75 percent of enterprises by the end of 2007."
The work needed to keep systems safe will continue to demand more of security pros, even as technology evolves to meet those threats. One little crack could be the difference between a secured system, and a headline about being cracked by criminals.
View All Articles by David Utter
About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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