Online Security Threats on a Rapid Increase

According to the Internet security firm Symantec, security threats that vary from simple infuriating spam to malware developed to damage the computer systems, to phishing attacks intended to procure information, further leading to identity theft, are on a rapid surge.

The firm further said that new variants of malware have been arriving continuously. To put in simple terms, hackers continue to design latest threats and then transmit them in different ways, leading to an increase in the amount of distinct threats. Symantec has supported this by saying that on an average, it blocks in excess of 245 Million attacks attempted per month, bulk of them being new threats.

Besides this, yet another reason for the soaring number of security threats is the global economic meltdown. Some attacks target the latest trends and security flaws, which include increasing promotions for forged "work at home" schemes, and variants that target job advertisements.

As social networking sites like Facebook are rapidly gaining popularity, they have become most preferred target for online scams and security threats.

Furthermore, according to the researchers at Symantec, cybercrime has now become larger than the worlwide drug trade. Over the last 12 months, around 10 Million users have reported the case of identity theft in the United States, and one in four families has been victimized.

Symantec added that not just the growth rate is astonishing, but the more disturbing fact is that it has become very easy for culprits with no technical knowledge to become cybercriminals overnight. Researchers have also anticipated that spam level will continue increasing, eventually comprising 75-80% of the e-mail traffic.

Researchers also say that, cybercrimes are very well reported in the IT space, but the news or message seldom reaches the common man. They said that normally reporters at news channels talk about tracking and catching drug dealers across the country's border, but they rarely highlight the news of an arrested hacker.

In the meantime, experts strongly recommend that it is essential for both commercial and personal Internet users to have protection ready in order to reduce the risk of viruses, spam and malware in general. Protection includes ensuring proper configuration of firewalls, and updating anti-virus software at regular intervals.

Related article: Online Card Fraud Shows Greater Tendency Than Chip and Pin

» SPAMfighter News - 10/6/2009