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Latest M86 Security Labs Report Details Surge in Malicious Spam and Rise in Social Engineering Attacks
M86 Security Researchers Identify Attacks Leveraging Shortened URLs Such as Those Popularized by Twitter as They Observe an Escalation in Cyber Criminal Activities
| Source: M86 Security
ORANGE, CA--(Marketwire - February 16, 2010) - M86 Security, a global provider of Web and
messaging security products, today unveiled its latest Security Labs
Report, detailing a massive increase in spam volumes and recent
vulnerabilities in applications including Adobe products and attacks via
social networking sites such as Twitter.
M86 security researchers analyze more than seven million distinct email
messages every day looking for patterns and emerging trends. By correlating
this data with Web exploit and vulnerability research, M86 achieves a
comprehensive vantage point on evolving Internet threats and publishes a
bi-annual report with these findings. The latest report is based on the
second half of 2009.
The Report highlights a surge in attacks through social networking sites
such as Twitter because of the increased use of shortened URLs. Shortened
URLs have become a favorite tool of attackers because not only do they make
it easier to obscure malicious links, but they also exploit end users'
trust through social engineering. The majority of malicious links observed
by the M86 team on services such as Twitter and Facebook abuse shortened
URLs and similar malicious links have also been observed in spam messages.
Zero-Day application vulnerabilities such as those within the Internet
Explorer and Adobe products are becoming just as prevalent as those seen in
the operating systems themselves as hackers take advantage of such
application vulnerabilities. Recent examples from the Security Labs Report
include an increase in the use of malicious PDF files targeting Adobe
products.
Spam remains a significant threat to businesses and government
organizations: not only does spam consume valuable network resources; it
remains a popular conduit for the distribution of malware, phishing and
other scams by cyber criminals. The new Security Labs Report notes that the
volume of malicious spam has dramatically increased; reaching three billion
messages per day, compared to 600 million messages per day in the first
half of 2009.
The vast majority of spam is sent via Botnets of infected computers. These
networks of compromised computers, sometimes known as zombies, are
revenue-generating businesses for organized, professional criminals. The
M86 Security Labs Report names the major spam Botnets and reveals that 78
percent of all spam during the last six months of 2009 originates from just
five of the Botnets.
"It is important to identify the major contributors to the volume of spam
so that the industry can take action against them, and our latest Security
Labs Report provides a detailed percentage of spam by Botnet origin," said
Bradley Anstis, VP Technical Strategy, M86 Security. "At the same time, M86
wants to help security professionals remain vigilant in their own
organizations against the increasing exploitation of trust on social
networking sites. Users are more likely to click on links shared with them
by senders they believe are their friends. To combat this, we suggest using
browser extensions that display shortened URLs in their full form and take
a range of other precautions outlined in our latest Security Labs Report."
To download the complete version of the latest M86 Security Labs Report,
please go to http://www.m86security.com/labs/resources.asp
M86 Security at RSA®
The M86 Security team will be available for questions at the RSA
Conference, Booth 1151 at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA, March 1-5,
2010.
About M86 Security Labs
M86 Security Labs is a group of security analysts specializing in Email and
Web threats, from spam to malware. The M86 team continuously monitors and
responds to Internet security threats. The primary purpose of the Security
Labs is to provide a service to M86 customers as part of standard product
maintenance and support. This service includes updates to M86's unique,
proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor and Web threat and
vulnerability updates to the M86 Secure Web Gateway products that are able
to pro-actively detect and block new and emerging exploits and threats and
the malware they serve.
Data and analysis from M86 Security Labs is continuously updated and always
accessible online at http://www.m86security.com/labs and on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/m86labs
About M86 Security
M86 Security is a global provider of Web and messaging security solutions
and the industry's largest vendor of Web security appliances. The company
delivers comprehensive protection to more than 21,000 customers and over 16
million users worldwide and has the expertise, product breadth and
technology to protect organizations from both current and emerging threats.
M86's appliance, software and cloud-based solutions leverage real-time
threat data to proactively secure customers' networks from malware and
spam; protect their sensitive information; and maintain employee
productivity. The company is based in Orange, California with international
headquarters in London and offices worldwide. For more information about
M86 Security, please visit http://www.m86security.com.
© M86 Security 2010