Sophos Warns Against Underestimating The Con Artists

Security Company Sophos in its new 2010 mid-year Security Threat Report states that amidst plenty of things as before, there're now a number of fresh mediums for cyber-threat that Internet users need to tackle.

States Sophos, conventional cyber-assaults targeting private data continues to remain. While the mediums seem to change, as per statistics, spam, malware and phishing continue to cause grave concern for the professionals of the security industry.

Moreover, the technique to lure Web-surfers onto harmful websites isn't dependent on a tempting link any more. Rather distributors of malicious software are utilizing fresh, hot news along with 'Search Engine Optimization' tactics so that their websites can be placed on higher ranks among the Google search results.

Additionally, Sophos' report also states that the current source of maximum malware is the United States, replacing China and Russia. Figuratively, U.S is host to 42.29% of malicious programs, while China and Russia are at 10.75% and 6.13% and France and Germany at 4% or so.

Furthermore, the security company reveals that the conventional cyber assaults are changing 'target' preference for Twitter and Facebook, the social-networking websites. During the period from April 2009 to 2010, spam surges via social networks reportedly rose from 33.4% to 57%, malware from 21.2% to 36% and phishing from 21% to 30%. Clearly, criminal operations in general are focusing to abuse the cyber world where the Internet user population is increasing day-by-day.

Explains Vice-President of Worldwide Sales and Field Operations Michael McGuiness for Sophos, these days infection is most commonly spreading not by opening an e-mail attachment but by clicking a web-link. ITWire reported this on August 28, 2010.

McGuiness adds that because of the above reason, malware attacks through social networks are getting to be increasingly prominent and prevalent.

Moreover, malware along with associated information theft problems not only commonly cause nuisances like wasted bandwidth and time of companies, but also grave problems to social-networking websites along with their users. While more and more spam outbreaks occur from social-networking websites, use of social engineering tactics that lure Web-surfers into clicking harmful web-links or disclosing important data are on an increase.

Related article: Spike in Attacks Causes Early Release of Windows Patch

» SPAMfighter News - 9/6/2010