2010 Security Threats in Review - Slide 9
|
|
 |
|
Spam continued at alarmingly high levels in 2010 despite the dismantling of botnets such as Mariposa or Bredolad, which prevented these zombie computers from sending spam. In 2009, around 95% of all e-mail traffic globally was spam. In 2010, the figure dropped to an average of 85%, with about 50% of all spam being sent from just 20 countries.
Pharmaceuticals continued to be the most popular subject of junk mail, followed by messages promoting fake designer products. Phishing messages designed to obtain online bank details and the like, as well as other fraud-oriented traffic increased as a percentage of the total.
2010 also saw some major new innovations in spam, including campaigns exploiting new ruses designed to infect users. Such was the case with an e-mail designed to look like a message from the iTunes Store, perfectly imitating official communications from the store.
2010 was an intense year for threats, and many issues shook the world of IT security. The dismantling of the Mariposa botnet, the “Here you Have” worm –an attack claimed by the Iraqi resistance-, 0-Day vulnerability exploits, Stuxnet and the attack on nuclear plants (SCADA systems), the Rainbow or OnMouseOver worm on Twitter, hijacking of the Facebook “Like” button, Android threats (such as FakePlayer), the launch of cyber activism led by Anonymous, Wikileaks… In short, a year full of security-related events of all shapes and sizes.
This slideshows highlights Panda Security’s report on security threats in 2010.
More Slideshows:
Top 10 Tech Jobs for 2011 With the right tech skills, it's a job candidate's market.
10 Business Uses for Your Apple iPad Business uses for your Apple iPad that your boss will approve of.
Tips for Creating a Strong Password Correct risky password behavior and reduce your chances of being hacked.
Related Topics : Unisys, Stimulus Package, Security Breaches, Symantec, Electronic Surveillance
PAM Solutions: Critical to Securing Privileged Access
To protect the company from those insiders who abuse their privileged access and from hackers with stolen credentials, many companies are turning to a privileged access management (PAM) solution. ... More >>
How Can We Fix the Fake News Problem?
Is fake news a security issue? Some say yes, as it can be used as a social engineering tool to spread disinformation and conceivably to get unsuspecting users to click on malicious links. ... More >>
The World According to Blockchain
Blockchain comes with many costs and is surrounded by confusion. Here, we examine realistic use cases, drawbacks and the potential of blockchain. ... More >>
