Symantec: Security Threats Are Increasing

Symantec today released its eighth volume of the Internet Security Threat Report, one of the most comprehensive sources of Internet threat data in the world. The semiannual report, covering the six-month period from January 1 to June 30, 2005, identified new methods of using malicious code for financial gain with increasing frequency to target desktops rather than enterprise perimeters.


The report also found a rise in the exposure of confidential information. Such threats can result in significant financial loss, particularly if credit card information or banking details are exposed.

Moreover, these concerns are more worrisome as online shopping and Internet banking continue to increase in popularity. During the first half of 2005, malicious code that exposed confidential information represented 74 percent of the top 50 malicious code samples reported to Symantec, up from 54 percent in the previous six months.


Additionally, bot networks and custom bot code were available for purchase or rent; Symantec observed an average of 10,352 active bot network computers per day, an increase of more than 140 percent from the previous reporting period's 4,348 bot computers. As the financial rewards increase, attackers will likely develop more sophisticated and stealthier malicious code that will be implemented in bot features and bot networks, some of which could attempt to disable antivirus, firewalls, and other security measures.


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