Scammers take aim at Gmail, VoIP and MySpace

Attackers are switching away from email inboxes and towards social networking sites

MySpace, Gmail and VoIP services such as Skype are the top new targets for security attacks, according to a report out today.

Web security firm MessageLabs warned that security threat levels have remained stable overall, but attackers are switching away from email inboxes and towards social networking sites and other Web 2.0 phenomena.

According to the latest MessageLabs Intelligence Report, July was "a month of victimisation" for high-profile and popular sites and services, with MySpace, AOL's AIM and Gmail all being used for attacks.

Instances of 'traditional' email spam actually went down 2.1 per cent from June to July.

However, the report saw an increase in phishing attacks in which consumers are duped into giving out personal information in response to an email or message purporting to come from a trusted source such as a bank. Globally, one in every 459.8 emails (0.22 per cent) is now a phishing attack.

Phishers, like other spammers, have turned their attention to new platforms such as VoIP. MessageLabs reports a growing number of spoof VoIP calls soliciting credit card details.

"With a global increase in the uptake of social networking portals such as MySpace we are seeing the bad guys increasingly target these sites," said MessageLabs chief technology officer Mark Sunner.

"This clearly demonstrates the constant level of innovation by cyber-criminals to leverage new modes of internet level communication and capture a victim's personal identity."

Sunner warned users to be on their guard. "[Spammers] exploit user ignorance around this new form of communication, and steal personal information for spamming purposes," he explained.

MessageLabs also reported on geographic trends. Israel is the most spammed country, where junk email accounts for 77.3 per cent of all email.

India continues to bear the brunt of virus attacks, with one in every 11.1 emails containing a virus, compared with one in 150 emails in Belgium, the safest country for surfers.