International Co-operation Vital As Malware Sources Disperse, Says Network Box
Hackers are spreading their operational bases further around the world, according to threat analysis from managed security firm, Network Box. During October, malware levels remained high, but threats originating from the ‘traditional’ top sources of malware (the US, China, Korea and Brazil) were all down on last month.
Spam
The level of spam originating from the US has dropped by three per cent in October, making the US now the fifth largest producer of spam. This is a significant decrease from a country that until recently was producing by far the greatest amount of spam. The fastest-rising spam threat now comes from Vietnam, now number two in the spam charts, producing 7.5 per cent of the world’s spam. This is just 0.4 per cent behind Brazil, still at number one.
China and Korea continue to vie for title of third largest source of spam, but both countries have seen a decline in spam levels (China down by two per cent and Korea down by one per cent).
Phishing
Network Box’s analysis of internet threats in October 2009 also clearly shows a drop of eight per cent in phishing attacks globally (from 33.2 per cent in September to 25.2 per cent in October).
Viruses
Brazil, the US and Korea are still dominating the virus charts as the top three sources of viruses, but all three countries have seen a drop of around two per cent month-on-month in virus activity. India continues to be a significant source of viruses, with 3.7 per cent originating from the sub-continent. Italy and Romania have entered the virus charts for the first time, producing 2.16 and 1.75 per cent respectively.
Simon Heron, Internet Security Analyst for Network Box says: “Phishing attacks are down from September’s high levels, but users and IT teams must still be vigilant. We’re seeing fewer malware attacks from the usual top sources, as malware producers spread their operations from traditional hubs such as the US and China. This highlights, once again, the importance of international co-operation in tackling malware.
“People who entrust their personal data to reputable websites need to be aware that even these sites can be hacked (as seen with the recent guardianjobs.co.uk attack) and should ensure that they use strong, frequently changed passwords and that their security software remains up to date with the latest patches.”
Country Daily Average %
Brazil 14.16771
US 9.36499
Korea 4.27218
India 3.79227
Argentina 2.57109
Columbia 2.36788
Italy 2.16965
China 2.00121
Romania 1.75251
Russia 1.71513
Top Ten Sources of Spam
Country Daily Average %
Brazil 7.90551
Vietnam 7.59576
Korea 5.53660
China 4.70909
US 4.51310
India 4.12785
Poland 2.54247
Russia 1.86269
Columbia 1.74923
Argentina 1.70800
Top Ten Sources of Intrusions
Country Daily Average %
Korea 10.76370
US 10.59513
Hong Kong 8.16967
Brazil 5.78221
China 4.95709
Vietnam 4.07795
Australia 3.92023
India 2.42955
Malaysia 1.68875
Russia 1.02181
Top Ten Sources of Firewall Blocks
Country Daily Average %
US 13.08238
Malaysia 12.99183
Korea 11.04428
China 10.16909
Australia 5.73187
Hong Kong 4.11280
UK 1.95475
Taiwan 0.96186
Canada 0.92095
Brazil 0.91200
For more information on security issues, see www.network-box.co.uk, or visit Simon Heron’s blog at: http://blog.network-box.co.uk/, or follow Simon on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/networkbox.
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About Network Box:
Network Box Limited (NBL) is an international managed security services company, specialising in unified threat management (UTM). It continuously defends the networks of its customers using PUSH technology to instantaneously update protection, from 12 Security Operations Centres spread around the globe. NBL’s customers in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe include companies such as BMW, Nintendo and Toyota, as well as banks, utilities companies and government organisations.
For more information, see www.network-box.co.uk / www.network-box.com.
Further press information from:
Kate Hartley
Carrot Communications
Tel: +44 (0)771 406 5233
Email: networkbox@carrotcomms.co.uk
