As expected, blended threats continue to grow significantly. ComputerWeekly reports that in 2006 a company called ScanSafe encountered spyware growth of over 250 percent. What is more: “Not only did we see relentless growth in spyware throughout the year, but we saw that it is increasingly harbouring more sinister payloads.”
Other interesting trends highlighted include the increasing range of vulnerabilities linked to Instant Messaging: ‘Unauthorised internet chat and messaging sessions accounted for 15% of web filtering blocks, said ScanSafe. Internet Messaging systems, while increasingly popular at companies, are now a major target for malware spreaders.’
This amply demonstrates the need for companies to take a ‘whole business’ approach to their infosec issues – technological barriers will help in part, but educating the workforce is another critical component.
