BitDefender News
30 July 2008
BitDefender Lab Publishes first E-Threats Landscape
Report
BitDefenderÂ's Â'Keep You SafeÂ' Guidelines also included
Eighty percent of malware distributed worldwide consisted of Trojans according to the E-Threats
Landscape Report, the first in a series of comprehensive security threat studies published bv
BitDefender® Lab. This E-Threats Landscape Report provides a comprehensive overview of the
security threats landscape over the last six months, from January to June 2008.
BitDefenderÂ's security experts analyzed and examined the menaces of the first half of 2008,
focusing on software vulnerabilities and exploits, different types of malware, as well as
countermeasures, cyber crime prevention and law enforcement.
BitDefenderÂ's E-Threats Landscape Report concentrates mainly on the first half of 2008, but it also
contains facts, data and trends concerning the previously investigated periods, as well as several
predictions related to the last half of 2008.
Highlights of BitDefenderÂ's E-Threats Landscape Report include:
Â- 80 percent of malware distributed worldwide consisted of Trojans
Â- 1/3 of global malware exploited OSÂ's and applicationsÂ' vulnerabilities
Â- Text-based spam comprised 70 percent of total unsolicited e-mails
Â- Image spam continued to decline in the first half of 2008
Â- Drugs represented the most advocated content via e-mail spam
Â- 50 percent of phishing attempts forged identification elements pertaining to US financial
organizations
Â- Phishers targeted victims from EU states
Malware
BitDefenderÂ's E-Threats Landscape Report reveals that malware creators concentrated on
exploiting systemsÂ' vulnerabilities via threats mimicking legitimate applications in the first half of
2008.
The WorldÂ's Top 10 Malware list for the first half of 2008 included:
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
Trojan.Clicker.CM
Trojan.Downloader.WMA.Wimad.N
Trojan.Autorun.EU
Trojan.FakeAlert.PP
Trojan.Peed.Gen
Trojan.Qhost.AKR
Trojan.HTML.Zlob.W
Packer.Malware.NSAnti.K
Trojan.Downloader.SWF.Gida.A
Exploit.Win32.Mso5-002.Gen
Â"2008Â's malware continues to revolve around profit, mainly financial,Â" said Sorin Dudea, Head of
BitDefenderÂ's Antimalware Research Lab. Â"To ensure gains, cybercriminals need a way to
compromise a large number of systems where to deploy as many bots, adware and spyware as
possible, with less or no cost at all. The most difficult task is not the malwareÂ's dissemination but
the systemÂ's infiltration and exposure to other threats. This explains the Trojan horsesÂ' heavy
mass production in the last six months.Â"
Page 1/3
BitDefender News
The WorldÂ's Top 10 Malware Distribution Methods for the first half of 2008 included:
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
Exploits
Downloaders
Malicious Advertising
Bundle Applications
Social Engineering Web Sites
Information Sites
Autorun Infectors
File Infectors
E-email Spam
Peer-2-Peer
E-Mail Spam
In terms of spam media and techniques, the most notable trend that BitDefenderÂ's security
analysts tracked in the first half of 2008 was the revival of text-based spam, which reached 70
percent, compared to 20 percent during the same period in 2007. Image spam continued its decline
in the first half of 2008, ending at 3 percent in June 2008, compared to 60 percent in June 2007.
Â"Plain-text continues to be the most prolific medium for e-mail spam distribution, especially due to
its simplicity, reduced size and extreme versatility,Â" said Vlad Valceanu, head of BitDefender
AntiSpam Research Lab.
The WorldÂ's Top 10 list of E-Mail SpamÂ's Featured Content for first half of 2008 included:
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
Drugs
Replica Watches
Phishing (tool for)
Pirated Software
Pornography
Loans
Hire & Equipment
TrojansÂ' Spread (tool for)
Dating
Diploma
Phishing & ID Abuse
Phishing trends for the first half of 2008 indicated a variation and growth of spoofed banks and
targeted clients. Primarily, forged elements belonged to US financial organizations, while the
possible victims are now native English speakers who reside in the United States, United Kingdom or
Canada. Phishing e-mails continued to be negative, such as account blocking or expiration and
account details update for security reasons.
The WorldÂ's Top 10 list of Counterfeit Business Identities in the first half of 2008 included:
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
eBay
Paypal
Bank of America
Wachovia
Fifth Third Bank
NatWest
Poste Italiane
Sparkasse
Regions Bank
Volksbank
Â"Spammers and phishers continued to improve their skills in replicating and forging legitimate
message characteristics. However, the simple text e-mails proved their efficiency as well, rounding
Page 2/3
BitDefender News
up the total figure of ID theft victims to 50,000 each month,Â" said Vlad Vâlceanu, Head of
BitDefender Antispam Research Lab.
For more information download BitDefenderÂ's E-Threats Landscape Report.
Inscreva-se para aceder ao apoio técnico e outros serviços personalizados do BitDefender.
Se já tem uma conta, por favor inicie sessão.
Os utilizadores registados do BitDefender beneficiam de ofertas especiais de actualizações,
descontos nas renovações das licenças, acesso a versões beta fechadas do software
BitDefender, apoio técnico prioritário gratuito 24x7.
O registo é um processo com três passos:
1. introduza um endereço electrónico válido e os dados pessoais e clique em Seguinte
2. introduza a chave de licença que adquiriu e clique em Seguinte
3. Siga as instruções da mensagem electrónica de confirmação.
Importante: Introduza um endereço electrónico válido. Será enviada uma mensagem
electrónica para o endereço que indicar. O seu registo não poderá ser concluÃdo se não
receber a mensagem de confirmação.
Page 3/3