Phishers widen their net to snare more firms

Phishers targeted 275 different brands in December

Phishing attacks showed no signs of abating in December last year, as cyber criminals widened their net to attack 21 per cent more brands during the period than the previous month, according to RSA Security.

The firm's monthly online fraud report found that the total number of brands attacked in December 2009 stood at an all-time high of 275.

However, the rate of increase in phishing attacks seems to be declining. Despite a year-on-year rise of 17 per cent, December saw a total of 15,596 phishing attacks, just a three per cent increase on the previous month.

Awareness of phishing attacks is improving, according to the RSA 2010 Global Online Consumer Security Survey (PDF), and over three-quarters of consumers are now familiar with the scams, compared to just a third in 2007.

The US remains the largest host of phishing attacks and the biggest victim, according to the report, although the UK is not far behind, experiencing a third of the attack volume.

In related news, new statistics from managed security firm Network Box released today revealed that over half of all malware sent via email in January was an attempted phishing attack.

"We normally expect to see phishing attacks drop slightly after Christmas, but this year we're seeing the number of attacks staying high," said Network Box internet security analyst Simon Heron.

"Sustained economic difficulties, combined with shoppers seeking online sales bargains, create an ideal environment for criminals."