Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, has revealed
the most prevalent malware threats causing problems for computer
users around the world during July 2007.
The figures, compiled by Sophos's global network of monitoring
stations, show a significant rise in the prevalence of the
Mal/ObfJS family of web threats - up from just 1.8 percent last
month to 17.3 percent this month. Despite this growth, Mal/ObjJS
has not been able to dislodge Mal/Iframe from its number one
position, accounting for more than half of all web threats seen by
Sophos.
Top ten web threats
The top ten list of web-based malware threats in July 2007 reads
as follows:
Experts at SophosLabs™ note
that the prominence of both threats in the top ten emphasises the
popularity of the drive-by download technique with cybercriminals,
as well as continued growth in the use of obfuscated Javascripts in
compromising sites.
"The security dangers of the web still aren't fully registering
with a great many businesses - this is providing rich pickings for
hackers hell-bent on gaining access to sensitive information," said
Carole Theriault,
senior security consultant at Sophos. "It's no surprise to see
legitimate webpages targeted for these attacks - businesses
generally aren't too strict about stopping their employees
accessing these websites, while the sites themselves will already
have their own daily flow of user traffic, saving hackers the
trouble of trying to entice unenlightened web surfers."
Top malware-hosting countries
The top ten list of countries hosting malware-infected webpages
in July 2007, reads as follows:
| Position |
Country |
Percentage of reports |
| 1 |
China (inc. Hong Kong) |
|
| 2 |
United States |
|
| 3 |
Russia |
|
| 4 |
Ukraine |
|
| 5 |
Germany |
|
| 6 |
Brazil |
|
| 7= |
United Kingdom |
|
| 7= |
Taiwan |
|
| 8= |
Canada |
|
| 8= |
Poland |
|
| Others |
5.5% |
China has again retained its position as the primary nation
responsible for hosting malware-infected webpages. Interestingly,
the number of pages hosted by Russia has increased substantially
since June 2007, where it stood at just 3.5 percent. This can be
explained by the large number of Mal/Iframe and Mal/ObfJS-infected
webpages in Russia that have been compromised to serve as drive-by
sites.
"Last month Italy made
the top ten - now it has disappeared and Russia is the main
nation on the rise," continued Theriault. "It's important for
countries to recognise that hackers don't have preferred locations
for malware-hosting. They'll target any vulnerable web hosts that
they can find, irrespective of country, meaning that no nation is
immune to the threat. The only way for businesses to mitigate
against the danger is by deploying up-to-date security solutions
and ensuring that internet users don't jeopardise their networks
through irresponsible online behavior."
Top ten email threats
The top ten list of email-based malware threats in July 2007
reads as follows:
A graphic of the top ten email-based malware chart is available.
A week ago, Sophos published
its Security Threat Report July 2007, examining the latest trends
in malware, spam and cybercrime.
Top ten hoaxes and chain letters for July 2007
Sophos experts have compiled simple best practice guides to
adopting a multi-layered defense. With blended threats, spam and
phishing attacks on the rise it has never been more important to
educate end users about how best to protect themselves.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.