The number of new malicious websites rose by 58 per cent in June to its
highest level since April 2007, security experts warned today.
The latest
MessageLabs
Intelligence Report attributed the rise to a jump in the number of spyware
and adware sites being blocked.
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"Web-based malware has become a dangerous tool in the arsenal of
cyber-criminals," said Mark Sunner, chief security analyst at MessageLabs.
"The bad guys know that web-borne attacks are uncharted territory for many
computer users and are taking advantage of this in addition to vulnerabilities
and weak security in web applications."
Sunner added that businesses that allow employee access to any website, and
sites with webmail accounts that have not been scanned by corporate security
systems, are at particular risk.
"In April MessageLabs stopped an attack spoofing YouTube videos, not mailed
out as links but distributed via user-generated content sites like blogs and
links posted on comments pages," said Sunner.
The bad guys know that web-borne attacks are uncharted territory for many computer users
Mark Sunner MessageLabs
"This is testament to the fact that spammers are using content that
historically works, but vary the distribution tactics so as to go relatively
unrecognised in their motives."
Activity from the Storm botnet declined from 20 per cent in the first quarter
to less than five per cent during the second quarter of 2008.
This has forced spammers to turn to
rival
botnets like Srizbi which is now responsible for around 40 per cent of all
spam.
Despite web threats reaching new levels over the past year, the amount of
spam, viruses and phishing attacks blocked by MessageLabs remained steady
compared with May 2008.
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