Malware Increases Massively During Q2-2011, Reports McAfee

According to the recently released "Threats Report for Q2-2011" by McAfee, 2011 has been the most preoccupied year ever during its January-June months within the history of malware programs. The company, through its research, indicates that its laboratory for detection and research has witnessed almost 12m malware items during Q1-2011. Although this means an increase of 22% over Q1-2010, the situation during Q2-2011 appears even bad.

Remarking about this unhappy situation, McAfee stated that if the numbers of the second quarters were to be added, the overall aggregate of all malicious programs within its database, would touch about 65m. Apparently, its researchers had calculated that the seemingly "Malware Zoo" would touch a minimum of 75m programs towards 2011-end, McAfee outlined. Thetechherald.com published this on August 23, 2011.

Further, giving information about fake anti-virus targeting Mac computers, the report states that Mac users have increased unlike ever-before, while with enterprises adopting Macs more and more for business purposes, malware writers are increasingly targeting Apple now. Albeit traditionally, fake AV couldn't affect Apple's products, developments during Q2-2011 show that they're now affecting. And while such fake AV represents a wholly fresh one, McAfee Avert Labs actually anticipates that there'll be an overall decline in fake anti-virus over time.

One more kind of malware which's consistently growing is stealth malicious program. This one involves a technique whereby malware is concealed within a rootkit for making the former more covert as well as persistent. According to the security company, it has observed stealth malware to acquire prominence during 2010, what with sophisticated assaults being executed with Stuxnet. Reportedly, during the past 6 months, there has been a faster growth in stealth malware compared to any earlier time, rising nearly 38% since 2010. Also, two rootkits, which were found the busiest, were TDSS and Koutodoor that are both vicious in concealing malicious program for theft of data, states McAfee.

Finally, the report discusses about e-mail spam too. Accordingly, although spam continues to be at its minimum volume ever, thanks to Rustock's shutdown, which was partly responsible, McAfee anticipates that this activity will steeply rise during the forthcoming months.

Related article: Malware Authors Turn More Insidious

» SPAMfighter News - 9/1/2011