Malware grows by the second

A staggering 91% of companies have experienced an IT threat over the last year, and a new malicious program appears every second.

This is according to Kaspersky Lab's Global IT Security Risks Survey, released this week, which found that 70 000 malicious programs appear daily. Alexander Erofeev, head of market intelligence and insight at Kaspersky Lab, says the cyber crime industry evolves every year with “new threats emerging at a pace that is almost impossible to follow”.

Kaspersky also reports that 61% of the IT attacks experienced were due to malware infection; 48% of companies have noticed an increase in the number of cyber attacks; and 30% of companies have lost critical business data.

Kaspersky says SA's stats mirror the global picture. The company says 79% of South African organisations surveyed have been attacked by viruses, worms, spyware and other malicious programs. Of the surveyed organisations, 39% lost data because of malware attacks.

Notably, 43% of the respondents consider cyber threats as one of their top three critical business risks, while 53% view cyber threats as a developing business risk. Furthermore, 54% of the respondents said they were under-resourced to deal with IT threats.

According to AVG, “the biggest threat to a computer owner's online security is the computer owner him or herself”.

AVG also notes that while many consumers are concerned about viruses, few are concerned about identity theft. The company also points out that there is no agreement on who should be responsible for the security of the Internet.

Kaspersky Lab says the popularity of social networks has led to them becoming channels for malware distribution. Not surprisingly then, Erofeev says many organisations are restricting access to social networking applications to reduce potential security risks. Kaspersky reports that 53% of companies block access to social networking sites, and a further 19% restrict social networking in some way.

Erofeev stresses that it is important to educate users about cyber crime and how to avoid it.

Erofeev warns that there is no likely end to cyber crime. Instead, he argues that numbers suggest cyber crime is one the rise, both locally and internationally. “Businesses need to exercise heightened online vigilance, ensuring security becomes and remains a key priority and concern,” he suggests.

According to Erofeev, companies should combine a solid security solution with “a firewall, an intrusion detection system and a security scanner”. He also stresses the importance of backups. “Additionally, tools allowing controlling applications, Web content and removable devices raise the overall security level,” he says.

“Remember, a healthy dose of scepticism will go a long way in helping to protect your business against fraud and scams; a reputable security solution and up-to-date software should take care of everything else,” says Erofeev.