NOW READ THIS
("Security Advisory")
Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA List Master
NRT-0309 Malware Becoming More Sophisticated:
IBM has reported an increase in malware volume and sophistication as part of its security
statistics report for the first half of the year. So far this year, IBM's X-Force research
and development team has identified and analyzed more than 210,000 new malware samples, which
is more than the total number of malware samples observed over the entirety of last year.
According to IBM, the "exploits as a service" industry continues to thrive, with the new
practice of "exploit leasing" added to the repertoire of criminals. By leasing an exploit,
attackers can now test exploitation techniques with a smaller initial investment, making this
underground market an even more attractive option for malicious perpetrators. According to the
report, Trojans (seemingly legitimate files that are actually malware) are the most common form
of malware this year, accounting for 28% of the total. Last year, Downloaders was the most common
category. A downloader is a low-profile piece of malware that installs itself so that it can later
download and install a more sophisticated malware agent. Running counter to historical trends,
X-Force reports a slight decrease in the overall number of vulnerabilities uncovered in the first
half of 2007 versus the first half of 2006. A total of 3,273 vulnerabilities were identified in
the first half of this year, down 3.3% year-on-year. However, the percentage of high-impact
vulnerabilities has gone up, from 16% in the first half of 2006 to 21% for the first half of this
year. Another unexpected trend in the report is the decrease in spam message size. IBM said the
fall corresponded with a decrease in image-based spam.
(ComputerWorld 17SEP07)