The biggest single threat to computer security is now the inability of PC users to patch their computers, Symantec's review of 2009 year has hinted.
According to the figures in Symantec's latest Internet Security Threat Report, last year saw a rise in malware volume, sophistication, automation and criminal opportunism in line with the sort of predictions one might have made based on the previous year's rises. In short, malware activity has never been higher.
But look below the headline 'shock and horror' statistics, and a more mundane but nevertheless interesting pattern emerges. After accounting for 11 percent of web-based attacks in 2008, PDF-based download exploits rose to account for 49 percent of such attacks. Internet Explorer was the second most attacked application, accounting for 18 percent of web-based attacks, down somewhat on 2008 but still at high levels.
More: http://pcworld.com/article/194685/
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According to the figures in Symantec's latest Internet Security Threat Report, last year saw a rise in malware volume, sophistication, automation and criminal opportunism in line with the sort of predictions one might have made based on the previous year's rises. In short, malware activity has never been higher.
But look below the headline 'shock and horror' statistics, and a more mundane but nevertheless interesting pattern emerges. After accounting for 11 percent of web-based attacks in 2008, PDF-based download exploits rose to account for 49 percent of such attacks. Internet Explorer was the second most attacked application, accounting for 18 percent of web-based attacks, down somewhat on 2008 but still at high levels.
More: http://pcworld.com/article/194685/
