Research Reveals an Increasingly Complex and Global Security Landscape
Posted on: Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 15:00 CDT
FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- FaceTime Communications, the leading provider of solutions for securing and managing IM, P2P and Web-based greynets in the enterprise- reported today that security incidents targeting public IM and P2P channels rose 6 percent from the previous quarter and the complexity of these incidents continues to increase, especially in the form of globalized malware.
"In the last three to four months, there has been a steady increase in Chinese malware. It has gone beyond the odd file every now and then to finding something new almost every day," said Chris Boyd, Director of Malware Research at FaceTime. "Symfly, the recent Trojan that may have tampered with Web traffic rankings for several Chinese Web sites, is evidence that clever hackers across the globe are realizing the potential to make money from unauthorized installations. Previously, security professionals have not had as much interaction with Chinese infections beyond crude and basic forms of attack -- this is a new frontier."
Patterns in the research indicates two peaks in each year, in the spring and fall, followed by lulls in the winter and summer. Based on the previous moving averages, researchers expect an increase in incidents for the next two months, followed by a slightly lower incident rate beginning in the summer.
"The cyclical pattern indicates that the market has matured, with high penetration of IM in the enterprise and a steady cadre of attackers aiming at IM, P2P and chat," said Frank Cabri, vice president of marketing for FaceTime Communications. "The maturity can also be seen in the increasing complexity and globalization of threats."
Additional key findings in the report include: -- On average, researchers recorded approximately five incidents per day in the first quarter of 2007. -- Single-channel attacks are regaining predominance, with multi- channel attacks accounting for a smaller proportion of the total attacks in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the first quarter of 2006. -- The mainstream public IM networks (AOL, MSN and Yahoo) continue to account for the majority of all IM-based attacks. However, other industry-specific networks (ranging from Reuters to semi-private Jabber-based networks) account for an increasing share of the total incidents - rising from 7 percent in 2004 to 17 percent of total attacks in the first quarter of 2007. -- Compared to 2006, researchers have seen a shift in the vectors used to distribute viruses. Attacks over IRC composed a significantly larger potion of attacks than in previous periods, 76 percent for the first quarter of 2007. In 2006, just 58 percent of attacks traveled over IRC.
FaceTime anticipates both the frequency and complexity of threats will continue to increase, with particular emphasis on IM networks and IRC. As more enterprises deploy IM company-wide, hackers will increasingly target enterprise IM users. The increase in IM use in the enterprise requires that IT departments monitor these channels carefully and take appropriate steps to manage and secure their adoption.
Although the Q1 2007 IMPact Report indicates a slower growth rate in security incidents over the last few quarters, businesses should not view this as an indication of an improving threat landscape. The report reaffirms the need for organizations to implement comprehensive security measures designed to protect against these increasingly clever IM, P2P, IRC and other greynet applications.
To find the most current and up-to-date threat information, or to view a copy of the report, visit FaceTime Security Labs at: http://www.facetime.com/securitylabs/impactreport.aspx.
About FaceTime Communications
FaceTime enables the safe and productive use of greynets like instant messaging, Skype, web conferencing and P2P file sharing. Ranked number one in market share among instant messaging management vendors for the third consecutive year, FaceTime's award-winning solutions are used by more than 800 customers including nine of the ten largest U.S. banks. FaceTime Security Labs delivers the industry's first IMPact Index, which assesses "point-in-time" risks posed by viruses, worms and other malware propagating through greynet applications. FaceTime supports or has strategic partnerships with all leading public and private IM network providers, including AOL, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Skype, IBM, Reuters, and Jabber.
FaceTime is headquartered in Foster City, California. For more information visit http://www.facetime.com/ or call 888-349-FACE.
Contact: Emily Chamberlin of A&R Edelman, +1-650-762-2945, or echamberlin@ar-edelman.com.
FaceTime Communications
CONTACT: Emily Chamberlin of A&R Edelman, +1-650-762-2945, orechamberlin@ar-edelman.com
Web site: http://www.facetime.com/
Source: PRNewswire
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