2 July 2007
Attacks via web and email strip businesses of cash
Sophos announces top ten web and email-borne threats for June 2007
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 June 2007.
The figures, compiled by Sophos's global network of monitoring stations, show
a further sharp rise in web-based threats. Sophos uncovered an average of
29,700 new infected web pages every day - around 80 percent of which were
located on hacked legitimate sites.
The top ten list of web-based malware threats in June 2007 reads as
follows:
Top ten web threats
Mal/Iframe, which works by injecting malicious code into web pages, has again
topped the chart, accounting for nearly two thirds of the world's infected
URLs. Earlier this month, a Mal/Iframe attack on multiple Italian websites
occurred, making headlines around the world. More than 10,000 web pages
were infected, most of which were on legitimate but compromised websites
hosted in Italy. Victim websites included Italian city councils,
employment services and tourism sites. Most of the affected pages appear
to be hosted by one of the largest ISPs in Italy.
"The Italian Mal/Iframe attack should certainly act as a wake-up call to ISPs
across the globe," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at
Sophos. "Malicious code dumped on these websites is just waiting to pounce on
innocent surfers. Websites should be as secure as Fort Knox, but at the
moment, too many web pages are easy pickings for cybercriminals."
The top ten list of countries hosting malware-infected web pages in June
2007, reads as follows:
Top malware-hosting countries
| Position | Country | Percentage |
| 1 | China (inc.Hong Kong) |
|
| 2 | United States |
|
| 3 | Russia |
|
| 4 | Germany |
|
| 5 | Ukraine |
|
| 6 | Italy |
|
| 7= | Taiwan |
|
| 7= | Brazil |
|
| 7= | United Kingdom |
|
| 10 | Canada |
|
| Others | 6.2% |
While China retains its position at the top of the chart this month, Italy
is a new entry and this is largely due to the Iframe attack. ObfJS, which
was the second most prevalent web-based threat this month, also contributed
to Italy's status in the top ten, following a potent attack on a popular,
legitimate web page early in June.
"The fact that China is responsible for such a hefty proportion of the
world's infected web pages, should not make other countries rest on their
laurels, " continued Theriault. "Italy's rise into the top ten highlights
the need for countries around the world to educate ISPs and website
administrators to ensure they are properly secured against web threats."
The top ten list of email-based malware threats in June 2007 reads as
follows:
Top ten email threats
Interestingly, Mal/Iframe's appearance in the email-based chart demonstrates
that it is not limited to only infecting via the web. Hackers can embed the
malware into emails using HTML to exploit users.
A graphic of the top ten email-based malware chart is available.
Top ten hoaxes and chain letters
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.
- Free virus, spyware, and adware scan
- Test your existing anti-virus protection
- Find threats your anti-virus missed
About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.
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