3 December 2007
Three year old worm accounts for almost a quarter of email-borne malware, reports Sophos
Rise of old-timer indicates too many users failing to protect their systems
IT security and control firm Sophos has revealed the most prevalent
malware threats and countries causing problems for computer users
around the world during November 2007.
The study, compiled by Sophos's global network of monitoring stations,
has shown that old-timer, Traxg, has leapt to number two in the chart,
accounting for nearly 25 percent of all recorded email-borne malware
in November, despite first being detected more than three years ago in
October 2004. Pushdo once again topped the chart in November, in a
month that has seen the malware author continue to release a number of
variants, including the latest offering - a naked video of Britney
Spears - in an attempt to entice and dupe unwary users.
Top ten email-based malware threats
The top ten list of email-based malware threats in November 2007 reads as follows:
"Traxg hurtling into second position this month has come as a complete
surprise, and the fact that unsophisticated worms are still slipping
through the net at such a rate of knots is a clear indication that
huge numbers of users, and potentially companies, are failing to
install even basic anti-virus protection," said Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant at Sophos. "In first place, Pushdo continues to
wreak havoc. A clear reason for its ongoing success is the guilty
cybercriminal's ability to quickly create different variants, which
are being spread voraciously in a range of spam messages. Each new
piece of spam that harbours the trojan has been created to tempt
users, and whether it's enticing them to watch videos of Britney or
view naked pictures of Angelina, this fraudster's tactics are
certainly working."
Overall in November, 0.1 percent of emails were carrying malicious
email attachments, or one in every 1,000. Meanwhile, web attacks have
risen this month, with Sophos detecting 7,500 new infected webpages
every day, an increase of more than a third when compared to the same
period in October.
Top ten web-based malware threats
The top ten list of web-based malware threats in November 2007 reads as follows:
Mal/Iframe once again topped the chart this month, accounting for more
than two thirds of all infected web pages found in November, with
Mal/ObfJS also maintaining its position in second place. Elsewhere
in the chart, Unsc, a Trojan that attempts to download malicious code
from the web, has made a first appearance at number seven. Meanwhile,
webpages hosted in China continue to be plagued by Mal/Iframe, and
overall the country hosted more than 50 percent of this month's
infected webpages.
Top ten countries hosting malware on the web
The top ten list of countries hosting malware-infected webpages in November 2007 reads as follows:
| Position |
Last
month |
Country |
Percentage of reports |
| 1 | 1 | China (inc. HK) |
|
| 2 | 3 | United States |
|
| 3 | 3 | Russia |
|
| 4 | 4 | Ukraine |
|
| 5 | 9 | Germany |
|
| 6 | New | Turkey |
|
| 7 | 6 | Canada |
|
| 8= | 7 | United Kingdom |
|
| 8= | Re-entry | Poland |
|
| 10 | New | France |
|
| Others | 5.9% |
"The big three - China, the US and Russia- continue to dominate the
chart, accounting for more than 85 percent of all infected webpages
world-wide," continued Cluley. "Despite this, the fluctuation in the
rest of the chart, highlighted by the four new entries this month,
shows that this is very much a global problem. To stop it turning
into a major pandemic, web hosts throughout the world would be well
advised to clean up their sites and quash the hackers by installing
web security protection."
Top ten hoaxes and scams
The top ten list of email hoaxes and scams in November 2007 reads as follows:
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.
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can control network access and defend against the threats of spam, hackers, spyware and viruses.
About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security
solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
See also:
Security news
Security news
