DownloadTrojans and spyware account for 57% of malicious code detected by Panda ActiveScan in 2006
01/16/2007. PandaLabs, Panda Software's malware detection laboratory, reports that Trojans and adware/spyware accounted for more than half of the malicious code detected in 2006 by Panda ActiveScan. This free online tool is available at http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan.
The Internet has opened the door to creators of malicious code looking to profit from fraud and identity theft and Trojans and spyware are their favoured weapons, as they can be easily concealed on users' computers.
Adware and spyware, responsible for nearly 40 percent of detections in total, topped the 2006 ranking. Both types of malware are advertising-related, as they collect private data from infected users, including information on websites viewed or online stores used. The data is then used to tailor advertising to users' preferences. This activity is of dubious legality, since it is carried out without the user's consent.
Trojans were the culprits in 17 percent of detections by Panda ActiveScan in 2006, rising nearly 10 points in the last quarter in comparison to the previous quarter. This particularly dangerous type of malware can operate while remaining undetected on infected systems. Presently, its main purpose is the theft of passwords used for financial operations, in order to gain unauthorized access to users' bank accounts.
Other malware detected by Panda ActiveScan in 2006 included dialers, responsible for 7.5 percent of detections, followed by backdoor Trojans (5.6%), and bots and worms, both at 3.8 percent. None of these figures varied significantly during 2006.
Mikel Perez, Head of PandaLab's Malware Detection Department, says that “malware creators' intentions are clearer every day. They have gone from competing for fame to trying to get rich through Internet fraud.” In order to be protected against this type of fraud, Mikel Perez recommends “always being protected with a good antivirus solution with firewall and identity protection systems. Proactive technologies can also help discover possible unknown computer threats.” Panda Software includes TruPrevent™ Technologies in its products to protect against unknown malicious code.
All users that want to know if their computers have been attacked by these or other malicious code can use ActiveScan, the free solution available at: www.pandasoftware.com/activescan. Users can carry out a complete check, free of charge, of all the areas of their computers that they suspect could be infected.
About PandaLabs
Since 1990, its mission has been to analyze new threats as rapidly as possible to keep our clients safe. Several teams, each specialized in a specific type of malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, phishing, spam, etc), work 24/7 to provide global coverage. To achieve this, they also have the support of TruPrevent™ Technologies, which act as a global early-warning system made up of strategically distributed sensors to neutralize new threats and send them to PandaLabs for in-depth analysis. According to Av.Test.org, PandaLabs is currently the fastest laboratory in the industry in providing complete updates to users. More info at www.pandasoftware.com/pandalabs.asp and PandaLabs´ blog.
For more information: http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/