Internet Security Trends

The effects of cyber crime are significant. It would be difficult to find someone who has never been affected by malicious Internet activity, or who does not at least know someone who has been negatively affected by cyber criminals. Advances in Internet technology and services continue to open innumerable opportunities for learning, networking and increase productivity. However, the malware authors, spammers and phishers are also quickly adopting new attack vectors and varied. If the Internet is becoming a safer place, it is imperative to understand the trends and developments taking place in the landscape of Internet threats and maintain online security best practices.

In December 2008, researchers at Symantec predicts a number of security trends to watch in 2009. Now that we are in the second half of the year, it is time to register on these estimates not only of how they obtained leave, but what other changes have occurred. The following is an update on Symantec predictions made last year, and some emerging trends that our analysts have seen the growth in the first half of 2009.

A forecast trends Check Up
The global economic downturn was one of the most significant basis used for the attack in 2009. Its impact was far reaching and the computer industry is far from immune to its effects. Solutions schemes and scams targeting victims of recession and extolling its problems are common. Some of these threats are new and some have been around for a while. These scams include:
* Home foreclosure scams
* Scams targeting those seeking or refinancing mortgages
* Scams use plans to boost U.S. economy
* Scams targeting unemployed with offers almost too good to resist
* Attacks seeking to exploit users online classifieds and investment advice
* "Homework" Plans

Social networking becomes a vector of attack even more popular
There is no question that social networking online continues to grow in popularity because of the many amenities and opportunities it offers. There is also no question that social networking provides bait phishers much more than before to have. Threats can come from all sorts of avenues in a social networking site. Games, links and notifications are ripe for phishers to use as they lead people into dangerous territory. While the company takes one end of the stick of social networking, he finds that it captures the inevitable security problems on the other end.

We may not want it, but it still to come. In July 2009, an average of 89 percent of all e-mails are spam. The total amount does not fluctuate, and a fight is underway to avert or close as many spammers as possible, but on average, levels of spam has increased most, rather than diminished. Headlines almost always lead to more spam, and the major titles of 2009, as the death of Michael Jackson, the epidemic of H1N1 influenza and the earthquake in Italy are obvious examples of this.

Web threats are growing in complexity and sophistication
The distribution channel options are not the only things that have increased for cybercriminals, skills and creativity have followed the same pattern. In addition to these new threats as they are more insidious and complex. New scams, such as software download, or achievements that come from seemingly legitimate sites can be almost impossible for the average user to detect. Before the user knows, the malicious content has been downloaded on their computer, they can face, often expensive and take considerable time to recover. As expected, the level of sophistication in these threats continues to increase.

Variants of malware New explode on the scene at an unprecedented rate
One of the most significant increases we have seen in the security landscape is the number of attacks and various methods for their distribution. Each month, security researchers from Symantec blocked an average of over 245 million attacks attempted malicious code across the globe. Most attempts of threats have never been seen before. A combination of distribution strategies for new, new media and Internet channels and more advanced hacker techniques all add up to more malware. While attackers previously used to distribute some threats to many people, they are now micro distribution of millions of distinct threats to smaller, single groups of people. All these factors combined equal an unlimited number of unique malware attacks occur.
New trends and development

Increases cross-industry cooperation in an effort to fight against cybercrime
Conficker, which has assumed alarming proportions earlier this year prompted the collaboration between several groups to solve one of the most complex and widespread threats to hit the web in a number of years. Conficker The Working Group was composed of industry leaders and people from academia and as they worked together, the combined efforts of the group proved its worth. The security researchers, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the operators in the system of domain names have been able to work with various industry suppliers to coordinate a response that targeted areas with Disabilities Conficker. This example represents the type of collaboration that will probably increase in the industry to cope with success today security threats increasingly complex.

While much has changed the threat landscape, some basic components remain, and, more interestingly, certain older trends have made a comeback. As indicated above, many cyber-criminals have begun to send multiple distinct threats to a smaller number of people, but there were also notable examples of the ancient technique of sending a few threats to a massive number of people. The motivation for the other method is often financial, provided the activity of Internet today is malicious, and the goal is often to steal personal data, distributing rogue antivirus software or spread spam. There are of course those attacks that have no real purpose except to cause havoc, but whatever the motivation, the different methods prompt the need for a layered defense that combines detection with traditional complementary sensor such as reputation model based on safety.

Deceptive methods that mimic traditional business practices continue to be used
Tactics cyber criminals are increasingly curious mimics the traditional business practice to try to trap unsuspecting users. In today's world, business on the Internet is part of life. Cybercriminals recognize this and are clever enough to mimic the interactions of business. Even outside business interactions, cybercriminals have found a way to deceive people by presenting fake posts. Examples include advertisements or malicious "malvertisements," people that redirect to malicious sites, or "scareware", which appear as antivirus scanners and scare people into thinking that their computer is infected when it ' is not really the case. The user is then drawn into buying a counterfeit product. Such deception is a security risk is widespread and growing.

Internet threats continue to increase in volume and severity. It is important that computer users are warned to get less vulnerable to risks and threats. Keep abreast of trends and current developments in online security is essential both for researchers from industry and all computer users alike.

By John Lawrence