APWG Reports Data Theft Program Propagation Surge of January-June 2011

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) recently issued its phishing Activity Trends Report for H1-2011 i.e. first ½-year of 2011 according to which, certain crimeware's propagation rose during January-June 2011, with malicious programs, designed to steal data climbing to a new infection level as well as remaining stable thereof, so published Marketwatch.com in news on December 25, 2011.

Specifically, during H1-2011, there was an over 45% rise in data-stealing programs as well as general PC Trojans from total malware spotted between January 2011 and April 2011. Thereafter, the increase leveled at much more than 40% during H2-2011 i.e. July-December 2011. Previously, the maximum increase in these malware programs was 44% during just one month i.e. August 2010.

Incidentally, these programs represent the most fundamental trends of cyber-crime since data-stealing malicious software characteristically dispatches information from contaminated computers for taking hold over them followed with creating backdoors to let the malicious software's controller gain access of them.

Senior Manager Patrik Runald for Websense Security Research together with an APWG Analyst contributing to Trends Report stated that the former six months of 2011 witnessed a rise in the total number of malware items contracted in addition to more significantly, malicious programs chasing secret data like Social Security Numbers, credit card information along with financial websites' access credentials. Apwg.org reported this in news during the end-week of December 2011.

Runald added that as the business of cyber-crime had grown to an industrial size letting the criminals reap uncountable dollars, it was clear that the current trend would be witnessed over an extended period of time. Marketwatch.com published this dated December 25, 2011.

Technical Director Luis Corrons of PandaLabs along with APWG Analyst contributing to Trends Report said that PC Trojans were behind 72% of all fresh malware items designed during H1-2011, an enormous rise from 55% of H2-2010. Cxotoday.com published this in news on December 26, 2011.

Finally, although there isn't the unstoppable month-to-month worldwide increase in traditional spam-oriented phishing assaults witnessed during the past years, signs have surfaced of new and prominent sources of phishing appearing amidst emerging economies, states APWG's latest report.

Related article: APACS Reports phishing On The Rise

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