News
AVG launches new protection against identity theft, boosts free product protection
Identity theft is now the number one Internet-based crime and claims
almost ten million online and offline victims at a cost of $48 billion
in the US alone, according to the Javelin Strategy & Research, 2008
Identity Fraud Survey Report published last month. CIFAS, the UK’s
Fraud Prevention Service, estimates that identity theft is costing that
country’s economy over $3.4 billion annually. To help users protect
their personal and private information online, AVG Technologies,
developer of the world’s leading free computer security product, today
introduces AVG Identity Protection (IDP).
AVIRA
In a survey, IT security specialist Avira looked at the criteria users apply when choosing their virus protection and identified a well-developed awareness of brands and performance.
Tettnang, 14 July 2009 – In a survey conducted on www.free-av.com during May 2009, 9325 surfers told IT security specialist Avira about the criteria they use when choosing their virus protection. International responses show that users are particularly trusting of the solutions from established brands. Equally important, according to the respondents, are the detection rates of malware.
The results of the survey showed that for 34 percent (3,207 respondents) a long-established, trustworthy brand was key. Almost as many users, 33 percent (3,077 respondents), based their decision on the virus detection rates achieved in independent tests.
The survey also reveals that 16 percent of users rely on the advice of friends and acquaintances when choosing their virus protection system. In contrast with the majority of respondents, who choose virus protection on the basis of the familiarity of the brand or detection rates, six percent (586 respondents) focus on additional features. In their opinion, as well as offering basic protection, anti-virus software should also have additional functions such as online backup, firewall and other related features. Avira caters to the needs of these users, with products such as its Premium Security Suite, which provides a complete security package, as well as protecting against adware, spyware, dialers, phishing and spam. The Suite secures emails and protects the system with a firewall and WebGuard feature.
In the context of the current threat from the Internet, consumers demonstrate a high level of security awareness: Only six percent of those surveyed (532 users) stated that they had no virus protection. This is underlined by the continuously high download figures achieved by Avira at free-av.com. According to analysts Cowen and Company, Avira has a market share of 50 percent, making it the leading brand in the German end-user sector for the protection against malware.
A minority of just five percent consider external features when choosing protection software, preferring anti-virus software that has a transparent, intuitive interface.
"For several years in succession, Avira has regularly been nominated by the readers of well-known magazines as ‘brand manufacturer of the year’ for anti-virus protection," adds Tony Anscombe, Business Line Manager at Avira. "Avira recently achieved this once again in May 2009. The company strengthens the confidence shown by users through its additional activities and relationships: as a founder member of the ‘IT Security made in Germany’ association (ITSMIG e.V.), Avira guarantees that it provides IT security products that leave no possibility for data espionage."
Spam volumes have increased 141 percent since March, continuing the longest streak of increasing spam volumes ever, according to McAfee, Inc.’s (NYSE:MFE) Q2 Threats Report, released today. The report also highlights the dramatic expansion of botnets and the threat from Auto-Run malware.
More than 14 million computers have been enslaved by cybercriminal botnets, a 16 percent increase over last quarter’s rise. The report confirmed McAfee’s first quarter prediction that the surge in botnet growth would send spam levels to new heights, surpassing their previous peak in October 2008 before the takedown of the spam-hosting ISP McColo.
McAfee researchers also found that, over the course of 30 days, Auto-Run malware had infected more than 27 million files. Auto-Run malware, which exploits Windows’ Auto-Run capabilities, does not require any user clicks to activate, and is most often spread through portable USB and storage devices. The rate of detection surpasses even that of the infamous Conficker worm by 400 percent, making Auto-Run the number one piece of malware detected around the world.
“The jump in bot and spam activity we saw in the last three months is alarming, and the threat from Auto-Run malware continues to grow,” said Mike Gallagher, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of McAfee Avert Labs. “The expansion of these infections is a grave reminder of the potential harm that can be caused by unprotected computers in homes and businesses.”
Botnet Growth Drives Cyberattacks, Spam Growth
Fourteen million additional computers have been turned into botnets this quarter. That averages to more than 150,000 computers infected every day, or 20 percent of the personal computers bought daily (Source: Gartner 2009). South Korea displayed the largest boost in bot activity; the nation saw a 45 percent increase in new infected computers over the last quarter. Such botnets were used to execute the DDoS cyberattacks against the White House, the New York Stock Exchange and South Korean government Web sites in early July.
While the growth in South Korea is substantial, it only accounts for less than four percent of the world’s new bots. The United States tops the list with 15 percent of the new zombie computers.
Botnet expansion is also the main driver in the increasing volume of spam, which is now 92 percent of all email. Spam volumes have now exceeded the highest volume on record by 20 percent, increasing at a steady rate of roughly 33 percent each month. In other words, spam volumes grow by over 117 billion emails every day.
Cybercrime as a Service
As the number of bots continues to grow, malware writers have begun to offer malicious software as a service to those who control botnets. By exchanging or selling resources, cybercriminals distribute new malware to wider audiences instantaneously. Programs like Zeus - an easy-to-use Trojan creation tool - continue to make the creation and management of malware even easier.
Cybercriminals Target Twitter, Social Networks
Twitter’s growth in popularity has made it a new target for cybercriminals in the last three months. Malware like the “Mikeey” worm and new variations of the Koobface Trojan attack users through tweets and abbreviated URLs. Spam Twitter accounts are becoming increasingly prevalent. Twitter administrative accounts have also been hacked on multiple occasions, giving cybercriminals access to the private accounts of celebrities and politicians, such as Britney Spears and Barack Obama and even allowing for the publication of sensitive internal strategy and finance documents to be posted on the Web.
Facebook and MySpace remain strong attack vectors for cybercriminals. In May, spam messages on social networks pointed users to 4300 new Koobface files.
About McAfee, Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee is committed to relentlessly tackling the world’s toughest security challenges. The company delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems and networks around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the web more securely. Backed by an award-winning research team, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com
