A major worldwide malware epidemic is putting greater wealth in the hands of criminals and has prompted PC Tools to update its award-winning Spyware Doctor.
“The malware epidemic is exploding and our Malware Research Center has witnessed some disturbing trends such as blended attacks, proliferation of toxic rootkits — and worst of all — a 120-percent increase in new crime-based threats,” said Michael Greene, Vice President of Product Strategy.
“Cyber thieves are making more money than drug dealers, according to a recent global identity theft report.(1) Given the huge rise in ID theft this year, it would be safe to presume cyber thieves are now earning as much as a small country. It is a massive problem and this is why we are facing one of the most significant Internet security battles ever. Everyone is vulnerable — from those using social networking sites to individuals simply filing online taxes. Those security vendors who do not revise their Internet security technology will be ineffective.”
“We had no choice but to respond quickly. As we watched the number and complexity of these dangerous threats grow, we either had to face the problem with all guns blazing or simply exit the security field,” said Greene.
The malware epidemic is exploding, according to the PC Tools Malware Research Center that identifies these disturbing trends:
* Blending of virus and spyware attacks on users — making malware more complex and seen to be specifically targeting personal information.
* Metamorphoses of Trojans — where basic signatures of threats are constantly changing to confound anti-malware scanners.
* Proliferation of toxic rootkits that remain in stealth mode for weeks or even months before unleashing dangerous attacks on users.
Source: Spyware Doctor 5.0, www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/
(1) This information was taken from the Security Report Online Identity Theft, February 2006.
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