Malware up 278% in first half of 2008

ScanSafe found that en masse compromises of legitimate websites exploded in June, accounting for 66 percent of all malware it blocked and contributing to a 278 percent increase in Web-based malware for the first half of the year.

According to the latest ScanSafe Global Threat Report:

1. Malware Increases 278 Percent: Web-based malware increased 278 percent as more and more legitimate sites including Wal-Mart, BusinessWeek, Ralph Lauren Home and Race for Life were compromised. This widespread compromise of legitimate websites was largely the result of automated attack tools which became freely availably in the last months of 2007.

2. SQL Injection Attacks Outpace Other Attacks by 212 Percent: SQL injection attacks, an exploit in which the attacker adds Structured Query Language (SQL) code to a Web form input box to gain access to resources or make changes to data, have rapidly become the most common form of website compromise, outpacing all other types of compromise by 212 percent. In June, SQL injection attacks accounted for 76 percent of all compromised sites.

3. Password Stealers and Backdoor Trojans Most Commonly Blocked Malware—Putting Corporate Data at Risk: Most of the compromises attempt to install password stealers and backdoor Trojans. This category of malware increased from 4 percent of malware in January to 27 percent in June.

The ScanSafe Global Threat Report is a study of the more than 60 billion Web requests it scanned and 600 million Web threats it blocked from January through June 2008 on behalf of corporate customers in more than 60 countries across five continents.