Spyware News: The Most Dangerous Malware of 2008 Came From the Internet, According to Trend Micro Threat Research Analysis

It's no surprise -- surfing the
Internet without a security software installed brings dangerous consequences,
especially since the growth of Web threats have increased by nearly 2000
percent since 2005.  According to Trend Micro threat researchers, more than 50
percent of the top 100 malware of 2008 came from the Internet and were
accidentally downloaded by users surfing unknown or malicious Web sites.


The second highest source of infections (43 percent) is from malware
already present on a system.  Today's multi-component threats typically
download one or more pieces of malware whose sole purpose is to hide in a
specific file, then contact a remote location to retrieve the real payload
such as data stealing malware.


Finally, email attachments from unknown or malicious sources bring the
third highest source (12 percent) of infections.  Other common ways to become
infected include: clicking on links or accepting file transfers over instant
messaging applications; downloading files offered via peer-to-peer
connections; using removable drives such as thumb drives and portable/external
hard drives; and failing to patch applications found to have vulnerabilities.


Even though regional data reflects the same general trend, there are
slight variations.  North America still has the highest amount of adware and
is seeing significant growth in data-stealing malware that arrive via the
Internet.


Malware borne by removable drives (portable/external hard drives, thumb
drives, flash disks, memory cards, etc.) are at 29.31 percent in Asia and
Australia, the highest compared to other regions.  Most Asian countries have
auto-run malware (malware that spread through removable devices) as their top
infectors, the highest concentration compared to other regions.  China is one
exception -- the country has a high percentage of online gaming spyware, due
to its large online gaming population.


The top malware infecting PCs in Europe, Middle East and Africa are Trojan
downloaders, Trojans that install other malicious files to the computer system
either by downloading them from a remote computer or by dropping them directly
from a copy contained in its own code.  Infections through malicious IFrames
(Inline Frames, a popular Web design convention that enables one HTML document
to be embedded inside another HTML document) are also popular within this
region.


Latin America's top threats are varied in profile but the region is seeing
a growth in multi-component attacks.  Several malware found in PCs have in
fact been dropped by other malware already present in the PC.


The volume and sophistication of Web threats make it imperative that
multilayered, real-time protection is used to ensure online safety. The Trend
Micro(TM) Smart Protection Network, which powers most of Trend Micro's
products and solutions, correlates Web and email threat data by using
reputation technologies that compare threats against in-the-cloud threat
databases.  This unique type of cloud-client security infrastructure gives
Trend Micro customers real-time protection against the latest Internet threats,
while enjoying online activities to the fullest.


For consumers, Trend Micro(TM) Internet Security Pro checks the reputation
of Web pages, blocking access to malicious sites before users have a chance to
access them and innocently give away their personal information or download
potentially malicious code designed to steal their credit card or other
valuable information.



About Trend Micro:


Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security,
focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and
consumers.  A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing
integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity,
personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the
newest Web threats.  Visit TrendWatch at
http://www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the latest threats.
Trend Micro's flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are
supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe.  Many of these
solutions are powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, a next
generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect
customers from Web threats.  A transnational company, with headquarters in
Tokyo, Trend Micro's trusted security solutions are sold through its business
partners worldwide.  Please visit http://www.trendmicro.com.



SOURCE  Trend Micro Incorporated