internet security tHreAt rePOrt GOVernMent 2013

p. 41
Symantec Corporation
Internet Security Threat Report 2013 :: Volume 18
MaLWaRE, SPaM, aNd PhIShINg
Introduction
Malware, spam, and social engineering continue to be massive,
chronic problems. Although they have been around for a long
time, attacks continue to evolve and they still have the potential
to do serious damage to consumers and businesses.
In addition, they hurt everyone by undermining confidence
in the Internet. These chronic threats do not get much news
coverage because they are “background noise” but that doesn’t
mean that they are unimportant. A useful comparison is the
difference between plane crashes and car crashes. A single plane
crash makes the national news, but the daily death toll on the
roads goes unreported despite killing significantly more people
each year. 28
The popularity of ransomware is an example of all these themes.
It permanently locks people out of their computer unless they
pay a swinging “fine” to the perpetrators. It’s corrosive to trust,
expensive to remedy, and reveals a new level of ruthlessness and
sophistication.
The numbers are telling. In one example, malware called
Reveton (aka Trojan.Ransomlock.G), was detected attempting
to infect 500,000 computers over a period of 18 days. According
to a recent Symantec survey of 13,000 adults in 24 countries,
average losses per cybercrime incident are $197. 29 In the last 12
months an estimated 556 million adults worldwide experienced
some form of cybercrime.
at a glance
• With ransomware, malware has become more vicious and more
profitable.
• Email spam volumes fall again, down 29 percent in 2012, as
spammers move to social media.
• Phishing becomes more sophisticated and targets social
networking sites.
Irreversible ransomware locks
people out of their computer
unless they pay a “fine,” which
in most cases does not unlock
the computer.