About security

In Q3-2006 Microsoft published a report that indicates that about 50% of all PCs connected to the Internet are infected by malicious software. The trend is that most efforts nowadays are concentrated on getting access to confidential information to be used for criminal purposes.

Malicious software consists of:

CategoryDescription
Mass mailing worm Malware that spreads using electronic mail. Malware that spreads through peer-to-peer network (P2P)
P2P worm Malware that spreads through peer-to-peer network (P2P) P2P worm applications, such as KaZaA and Winny.
Instant messaging (IM) worm Malware that spreads using instant messaging applications such as Windows Live Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.
Exploit malware Malware that uses exploits of software vulnerabilities as its primary infection mechanism.
Trojan Malware that seems to be harmless but contains hidden code to harm the user’s system and serve the attacker.
Backdoor Trojan A form of Trojan that can enable an attacker to control an infected computer and access confidential information. Bots are a sub-category of backdoor Trojans that use Internet Relay Chat (IRC) as their main method of communication.
Trojan downloader / dropper A form of Trojan that copies other files to the system either by downloading them from a remote computer or by dropping them directly.
Virus Malware that infects other files in the system, enabling the execution of its code and its propagation when those files are activated.
Password stealer (PWS) / key Malware that is used specifically to transmit personal information logger such as passwords or key strokes to an attacker.

Source: Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, January-June 2006

Articles about malicious software:

"In the past, lone hackers defaced Web sites or launched global worm attacks, mainly to gain notoriety among their peers. Today, they use their skills for profit. They hunt for security flaws and find ways to exploit them, hijack computers and rent those out for use as spam relays, or participate in targeted attacks that steal sensitive information from individuals or spy on businesses."
"More than 43,000 new variants of such insidious software were found in the first half of 2006, making them the most active category of malicious software, Microsoft said in a Security Intelligence Report..."
You can download the report from Microsoft here:
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