Drive-by downloads, ransomware and other dirty malware tricks

Malware is certainly not going away; nor is it slowing down.

According to McAfee’s latest Threat Report, malware samples detected in the last four years have dramatically increased with new threats such as mobile drive-by downloads, Twitter botnets, and mobile ransomware.

Key findings from this quarter’s report include the following:

1. Attacks are growing more sophisticated and more numerous: McAfee researchers discovered nearly 100,000 new samples per day.

2. The stakes are higher than ever: While file, Web and email-based attacks remain prevalent, the most sophisticated attacks now include some network-based components.

3. Hackers are taking advantage of the rise in IT consumerization: mobile devices can often provide easy access to consumer and corporate data, they are taking advantage of organizations that have lax Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) security.

Vincent Weafer, McAfee Labs’ senior vice president, said he has seen prime examples of malware that impacted consumers, businesses, and critical infrastructure facilities over the last quarter. Attacks that traditionally target PCs are now making their way to other devices. For example, Q2 saw Flashback, which targeted Macintosh devices and techniques such as ransomware and drive-by downloads targeting mobile.

The security vendor also found that PC malware writers have mastered their craft continuing to transfer their skills to other popular consumer and business platforms, such as Google’s Android OS. After the mobile malware explosion in Q1 2012, Android malware shows no signs of slowing down, putting users on high alert. Virtually all new mobile malware detected in Q2 2012 was directed at the Android platform, and was comprised of SMS-sending malware, mobile botnets, spyware and destructive Trojans.

One of the new malware trends found was mobile ransomware and botnets. Ransomware is the latest cybercrime fad, according to McAfee.Ransomware, steadily increasing quarter over quarter, has become a popular avenue for cybercriminals. Damage can range from loss of photos and personal files for home users to data encryption and demands for money for large enterprises.

Ransomware is especially problematic as it can hold computers and data hostage, instantly damaging machines.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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CDN Staff
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