Malware attacks double as cybercriminals get smarter

There has been a significant rise in the number of malware and "malvertising" attacks recorded in the last year as cybercriminals move to target social media networks.

"The probability that an average Internet user will hit an infected page after three months of web browsing is 95%;" said web security company Dasient in a March 7 blog post.

More than one million websites were estimated to be infected by malware infections in Q4 2010, a figure that is almost double the number of infected websites recorded in Q4 2009.

The number of malvertising impressions (malicious advertising used to spread malware) served per day is estimated to have doubled from 1.5 million to three million from Q3 to Q4 2010. However, Dasient attributed some of the growth to "additional 'remnant' ad networks that we started monitoring in Q4."

A recent study by technology corporation Cisco reported even higher increases in malware. Cisco's Q4 report indicated that malware had grown by 139 percent in 2010.

Dasient predicts that incidents of malware and malvertising will continue to increase in 2011 as cybercriminals find new ways to trick consumers into visiting infected webpages.

Social media networks have become a major feeding ground for cybercriminals.

"Social networking sites are open platforms for communication that can be used by anyone, and cybercriminals are regularly conducting 'tests' and attacks that are harmful," said Dasient.

Even more worrying for consumers is the fact that "Double digit percentages of status messages on social networking sites have links in them, but most social networking sites don't scan the links for malware," said Dasient.  

To minimize risks on the web you can follow these tips:

• Avoid clicking on any URL links, especially URL-shortened links, that you receive in emails, Facebook messages or tweets you are not expecting to receive.
• Be cautious of online surveys and downloading photos, apps, or files you receive, even if they come from your friends. If you are unsure, check with your friend first.
• Don't ever use the same password for multiple services.
• Limit the amount of information you share on social networking sites.
• Keep your software and web browser updated with the latest releases and patches and only ever download software from official websites.

http://blog.dasient.com/2011/03/dasient-q4-malware-update-significant.html