Sophos a world leader in computer and It security and control, has announced the top ten web and email based security threats for the month of June 2007. It has also listed the most widespread malware security threats that may cause problems for scores of PC users around the globe. The lists are based on the findings for the month of June 2007 only. The release also states that there has been a sharp rise in web and email based threats over the past few months. It has uncovered that, on an average approximately thirty thousand web pages get affected by these malwares everyday. Eighty percent of these web pages are legitimate websites that have been hacked in to.
The top ten list of web-based malware threats in June 2007 reads as follows:
1 Mal/Iframe 64.0%
2 Mal/ObfJS 10.1%
3 Troj/Fujif 3.1%
4 Troj/Decdec 2.7%
5 VBS/Redlof 2.5%
6 Troj/Psyme 3.8%
7 Mal/Packer 1.1%
8 Troj/Ifradv 1.0%
8 VBS/Haptime 1.0%
10 Mal/Zlob 0.9%
Others 9.7%
Mal/Iframe is a malware and constitutes to affecting nearly two thirds of the world's web webpages and web sites. It works by injecting malicious instructions in to the web pages. Approximately fifty three percent of the Italian web sites were attacked by the malware, which made headlines around the world.
Most of the affected web pages and web sites are legitimate and were compromised. The infection went so deep that even government web sites were affected, these included Italian city councils, employment services, tourism sites and so on. Most of the affected web sites were hosted by Italy's largest web site host and Internet service provider.
The attack may be a wake up call to web hosts and ISP's world wide to secure their web servers and other crucial servers. The malicious code attached on to these web pages and web sites was sitting like a crouching tiger, ready to pounce on unsuspecting and innocent visitors. Web sites do need to be secure, the task is behemoth due to the sheer number of web pages existing on the internet and thus these form an easy target for hackers and phisers alike.
The release further states that china retains the top position in the list of countries that host malware and spyware infected web pages and web sites. Ittaly on the second positions is a new entry to the list, this is due to the above mentioned attack.
Mal/ ObfJS, the second most rampant web based threat is also contributed to Italy's debut in the countries hosting malware and spyware infected web pages and web sites. China is responsible for more than fifty percent of these infected web pages and web sites and the Chinese government or the ISPs themselves should try to provide better security measures to their clients who trust them with the security of their web sites. Italy's sudden debut has also prompted ISP's and web site administrators alike, around the world that their security does cause a concern and may be detrimental to their online businesses.
