Gaming threat most prevalent as Web threats surge

Peter Dinham
Thursday, 09 July 2009 13:45

Business IT - Security

There was significant growth in Web threat traffic in June with increased volumes of malware, and an online gaming Trojan the most active bit of malware circulating around the Internet.

Last month was also marked by the highest rate of phishing attacks and overall threat activity jumping to an all-time high.

In its June threat report, network security provider Fortinet reports that online gaming Trojan W32/OnlineGames.BBR!tr was the most active malware threat, while Zbot variants increasing dramatically to take second and third positions.

Fortinet also says there were some very noteworthy trends that surfaced in June, such as the “growing popularity of Web-borne malware,” which it sees as driving the next generation of threats to online services.

Derek Manky, project manager, cyber security and threat research at Fortinet, warns that hackers continue to attempt to “drive mass traffic to their threats, utilising various tactics aided by large online communities, and as a result – more than ever -- users should be wary about who and what they trust.”

Manky reports that the United States was country receiving the highest volume of malware traffic in June 2009, followed by Singapore, Japan, Korea, and Spain.

Globally, he adds, phishing attacks made up 10% of threat traffic volume, with phishing threats exceeding 1000% traffic growth since February this year.

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