Company Warns of Mobile and Targeted Malware, Hactivism, More Social Engineering and Social Networking Scams to Continue in the Coming Months
GULF BREEZE, FL — January 16, 2012 —
AppRiver,
LLC, a leading provider of email messaging and
Web security solutions, today released its year-end Threat and
Spamscape report, a detailed summary and analysis of
spam and malware trends traced over the course of 2011.
Also in the report are the company's security trend predictions for
2012.
During the past year alone, AppRiver quarantined more than 670
million messages carrying email-borne viruses.
Fred Touchette, report author and senior security analyst at
AppRiver, warns that 2012 could bring even more threats.
Specifically, AppRiver predicts:
- Rise of Mobile Malware-Mobile malware threats
will continue to rise as the growing number of mobile devices, such
as phones and tablets, give cyber criminals new avenues to steal
money and wreak havoc.
- More Social Engineering-No amount of
equipment, gear, or money can stand in the way of what will likely
remain the weakest component of all security systems - the human
factor. Humans are notoriously trusting and maintain an underlying
desire to help others in need. And, that's why we remain easy
targets.
-
Social Networking Scams-Today, nearly everyone
has a Facebook account, if not several social networking accounts
hosted on different sites. Since people and their money are
established targets, cybercriminals will continue to go where the
people are. Facebook and Twitter will remain popular sites to
host malware campaigns posing as messages from "friends".
- Targeted Malware-Incredibly complex pieces of
malware like the infamous Stuxnet Worm and its cousin Duqu, made
their way to specific targets with incredible swiftness and
accuracy. There's no doubt that this type of attack, whether it be
government sponsored or otherwise, will be at least as prevalent if
not more so in 2012.
- Hacktivism-Groups such as Anonymous and
LulzSec gained a lot of notoriety in 2011. Because of the highly
publicized events from these two groups, we are sure to see copycat
groups attempt similar acts. Whether they are intended to be in the
interest of the people, cause mischief, or offer a confused blend
of both, major corporations or entities will likely be
targeted.
"Cybercrime, unfortunately, is not going anywhere since we
increasingly rely on technological advancements for convenience and
entertainment," said Touchette. "The best thing we can do is remain
vigilant by keeping software up to date and adopting a layered
cyber-security strategy."
Touchette also discusses specific attacks and general themes
from last year in AppRiver's Threat and Spamscape
report. "2011 brought a lot of varied activity to the realm
of cyber security," said Touchette. "World events helped steer
large malware campaigns as Japan and New Zealand suffered major
tragedies that kept the rest of the world hungry for
information. That, unfortunately, led many victims into
malicious online traps."
Malware also proved its role in the world of cyber warfare with
the Stuxnet worm. "We knew that the use of malware for cyber
espionage was imminent, but as Stuxnet was further analyzed and its
intentions revealed it became clear that the era of cyber warfare
has begun."
To read the full 2011 Year in Review report, please
visit:
http://www.appriver.com/resources/spam-and-threatscape-reports/news-2011overview.aspx.
About AppRiver
AppRiver is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider offering
award-winning email and Web security solutions to businesses of all
sizes. Understanding the need to protect networks from today's
increasingly complex IT threats, AppRiver offers businesses a
comprehensive, yet affordable subscription-based solution that
incorporates the latest spam and virus protection, email encryption
and Web security on the market. In addition, the company provides a
complete managed service for Microsoft Exchange, as well as a
bundled Office 365 solution. Since its inception, AppRiver has
sustained an impressive 93% customer retention rate while growing
its customer base to more than 45,000 companies and over 8 million
mailboxes worldwide. The company is led by an Ernst & Young
Florida Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, and has been
identified as a Top 20 Cloud Security Vendor in 2011 by Everything
Channel's CRN magazine. For more information, please visit www.appriver.com.
Dana Holway
dholway@appriver.com