Out-Law News 2 min. read
20 Sep 2005, 7:31 pm
This was the company's eighth Internet Security Threat Report, covering the six-month period from 1st January to 30th June 2005. It identified new methods of using malicious code for financial gain with increasing frequency to target desktops rather than enterprise perimeters.
The report also found a rise in the exposure of confidential information, which can result in significant financial loss, particularly if credit card information or banking details are exposed. During the first half of 2005, malicious code that exposed confidential information represented 74% of the top 50 malicious code samples reported to Symantec, up from 54% in the previous six months.
"Attackers are moving away from large, multipurpose attacks on network perimeters and toward smaller, more targeted attacks directed at web and client-side applications," said Arthur Wong, vice president of Symantec Security Response and Managed Security Services. "As the threat landscape continues to change, users need to be diligent in keeping systems up-to-date with security patches and security solutions."
Additionally, bot networks and custom bot code were available for purchase or rent. Symantec observed an average of 10,352 active bot network computers per day, an increase of more than 140% from the previous reporting period's 4,348 bot computers. As the financial rewards increase, attackers will likely develop more sophisticated and stealthier malicious code that will be implemented in bot features and bot networks, some of which could attempt to disable antivirus, firewalls, and other security measures.
Modular malicious code – malicious code that has limited functionality initially but then downloads additional functionality once a system has been infected – is also increasing. The shift toward modular malicious code is significant as it indicates that attackers may be attempting to avoid detection and attempting to compromise a system further by opening back doors on an infected system or visiting web sites where further malicious code can be retrieved and placed on the target system.
The report also found that phishing attacks continue to proliferate. The volume of phishing messages grew from an average of 2.99 million messages a day to 5.70 million. One out of every 125 e-mail messages scanned by Symantec's anti-spam software was a phishing attempt, an increase of 100% from the last half of 2004. Symantec's antifraud filters were blocking more than 40 million phishing attempts per week on average, up from approximately 21 million per week at the beginning of January.
The Cupertino, California-based company also observed that denial of service attacks grew from an average of 119 per day to 927 per day during the first half of 2005 – a 680% increase over the previous reporting period. The most frequently targeted industry was education, followed by small business and financial services.
Adware, spyware, and spam continue to propagate, according to the report. Eight of the top 10 adware programs were installed through web browsers. Of the top 10 adware programs reported, five hijacked browsers. Six of the top 10 spyware programs were bundled with other programs and six were installed through web browsers. Symantec also observed that spam made up 61% of all email traffic and that 51% of all spam received worldwide originated in the US.
Symantec also expects an increase in the number of attacks and threats directed at wireless networks. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) threats are likely to emerge as more enterprises merge their data and voice networks, it says.
OUT-LAW is running a half-day conference on phishing in London on 27th October 2005 for those in financial services, other brand holders and anyone else with an interest. Speakers from APACS, Cyota, Barclays Bank and OUT-LAW will explore the threats, the laws and the possible solutions. See full Phishing Conference details.