Fergie's Tech Blog

Spyware Infections Soared in Q1 2006

Dawn Kawamoto writes on the C|Net Security Blog:

Spyware soared in the first quarter this year - infecting an estimated 87 percent of consumers' PCs, according to security firm Webroot, which released its State of Spyware report Tuesday.

That's quiet a pop from the previous two quarters, when spyware had infected an estimated 72 percent of consumer PCs, according to Gerhard Eschelbeck, Webroot chief technology officer.

Webroot's CTO pointed to three things that drove the rapid rise of spyware in the first quarter. Topping the list was the flurry of IE flaws in the quarter that didn't have a patch available at the time they were disclosed. Greater sophistication of rootkits and a resurgence in building blocks to make phishing Trojan horses also added fuel to the fire for spyware.

posted by Fergie @ 5/09/2006 03:40:00 PM