IT security and control firm Sophos has revealed the most
prevalent malware threats and countries causing problems for
computer users around the world during November 2007.
The study, compiled by Sophos's global network of monitoring
stations, has shown that old-timer, Traxg, has leapt to number two
in the chart, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all recorded
email-borne malware in November, despite first being detected more
than three years ago in October 2004. Pushdo once again topped the
chart in November, in a month that has seen the malware author
continue to release a number of variants, including the latest
offering - a naked video of Britney Spears - in an attempt to
entice and dupe unwary users.
Top ten email-based malware threats
The top ten list of email-based malware threats in November 2007
reads as follows:
"Traxg hurtling into second position this month has come as a
complete surprise, and the fact that unsophisticated worms are
still slipping through the net at such a rate of knots is a clear
indication that huge numbers of users, and potentially companies,
are failing to install even basic anti-virus protection," said
Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant at Sophos. "In first place, Pushdo
continues to wreak havoc. A clear reason for its ongoing success is
the guilty cybercriminal's ability to quickly create different
variants, which are being spread voraciously in a range of spam
messages. Each new piece of spam that harbours the trojan has been
created to tempt users, and whether it's enticing them to watch
videos of Britney or view naked pictures of Angelina, this
fraudster's tactics are certainly working."
Overall in November, 0.1 percent of emails were carrying
malicious email attachments, or one in every 1,000. Meanwhile, web
attacks have risen this month, with Sophos detecting 7,500 new
infected webpages every day, an increase of more than a third when
compared to the same period in October.
Top ten web-based malware threats
The top ten list of web-based malware threats in November 2007
reads as follows:
Mal/Iframe once again topped the chart this month, accounting
for more than two thirds of all infected web pages found in
November, with Mal/ObfJS also maintaining its position in second
place. Elsewhere in the chart, Unsc, a Trojan that attempts to
download malicious code from the web, has made a first appearance
at number seven. Meanwhile, webpages hosted in China continue to be
plagued by Mal/Iframe, and overall the country hosted more than 50
percent of this month's infected webpages.
Top ten countries hosting malware on the web
The top ten list of countries hosting malware-infected webpages
in November 2007 reads as follows:
| Position |
Last
month |
Country |
Percentage of reports |
| 1 |
1 |
China (inc. HK) |
|
| 2 |
3 |
United States |
|
| 3 |
3 |
Russia |
|
| 4 |
4 |
Ukraine |
|
| 5 |
9 |
Germany |
|
| 6 |
New |
Turkey |
|
| 7 |
6 |
Canada |
|
| 8= |
7 |
United Kingdom |
|
| 8= |
Re-entry |
Poland |
|
| 10 |
New |
France |
|
| Others |
5.9% |
"The big three - China, the US and Russia- continue to dominate
the chart, accounting for more than 85 percent of all infected
webpages world-wide," continued Cluley. "Despite this, the
fluctuation in the rest of the chart, highlighted by the four new
entries this month, shows that this is very much a global problem.
To stop it turning into a major pandemic, web hosts throughout the
world would be well advised to clean up their sites and quash the
hackers by installing web security protection."
Top ten hoaxes and scams
The top ten list of email hoaxes and scams in November 2007
reads as follows:
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 recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can control network access and defend
against the threats of spam, hackers, spyware and viruses.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.