Numbers of Advanced Malware Increased by 400% Compared to 1H 2011, Study Finds

FireEye has released its Advanced Threat Report for the first half of 2012 and, as expected, the numbers are not encouraging at all.

As it turns out, compared to the first half of 2011, advanced malware has grown by 400%, 643 infections with such malicious elements being reported each week.

Experts say that these types of threats are no match for classic security solutions such as the ones that rely on signatures.

Of the three attack vectors utilized by advanced threats – web, email and files – the campaigns that rely on email seem to be the most successful. This explains why the number of targeted spear phishing operations has grown.

The most worrying fact is that any type of organization could become the target of these threats, especially if they house intellectual property, customer details, or critical infrastructure. However, so far, the most targeted industries have been healthcare, financial services and the energy sector.

The complete report is available here.