July 31, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – ScanSafe (http://www.scansafe.com/) has issued a report on the top five countries hosting web-based Malware. According to the report, which included data of web malware blocked by ScanSafe in the last month, 42% of malware is harbored in the United States, 12% in China, 6% in Germany, 5% in the United Kingdom, and 4% in Russia.
With the Olympics just around the corner, the report suggests the likelihood of an increase in potential Internet threats and spam. “We can expect to see an increase in Olympics-themed spam, blog comments, and forum posts that try to entice potential victims into visiting malicious websites under the auspices of viewing video or other content related to the games,” explained ScanSafe’s Senior Security Researcher, Ms. Mary Landesman. “Potentially, there may also be an increase in the compromise of legitimate websites that feature Olympics-related content, in order to exploit the heightened traffic that may result.”
Another ScanSafe report suggested web-based malware had already increased by 278% in the first half of 2008. The company suggests “websites where the Olympic Games are streamed online by broadcasters could be a prime area for compromise”. The company also “encourages companies to ensure that all web security measures are extended to users who may use corporate issued PCs at home or while traveling to keep abreast of Olympic developments”. Earlier this year, ScanSafe launched Anywhere+, the world’s first SaaS Web security for remote and roaming PC users, providing real-time protection from malware and enforcement of acceptable Internet usage policies for all users surfing the Web regardless of their location.
“Whether traveling to the Olympics or viewing the games online, Web surfers should be extra cautious before, during and immediately after the games,” added Ms. Landesman. “Of particular concern are corporate users who encounter a compromised website, putting networks and proprietary information at risk. In the majority of cases, these compromised sites are forcing silent downloads of password stealers, a category of malware that poses a particular security concern to the enterprise network.”
Tips offered by ScanSafe to ensure users have a safe “online Olympic experience” are to sanitize searches using Scandoo (http://www.scandoo.com) –ScanSafe’s free service that provides advanced warning for sites that contain malware or unwanted content in search results.
More on ScanSafe’s report is available at the company’s corporate website.
