By the ZoneAlarm Team
Hackers are getting more sophisticated all the time, but are consumers keeping up?
A new 2010 M86 Security Labs report illustrates that there are a number of trends that antivirus alone will not protect us from:
1. Cybercriminals are focusing on multi-pronged tricks to outsmart security. They are frequently using JavaScript and ActionScript (in Adobe Flash) to attack in a way that is difficult to detect because the malicious code is divided between different programs.
2. Versions of the Asprox botnet are increasingly invading mainstream websites with hidden malicious programs. Innocent users get infected automatically when they visit compromised sites, unless they have drive-by download protection. Take note, because Asprox-associated malware has been known to withdraw money from consumer bank accounts.
3. The most exploited security holes in 2010 were vulnerabilities that both Microsoft and Adobe had long ago discovered and corrected with updates! Unfortunately, many folks had not accepted these free software updates and therefore got hacked.
4. Spammers, which are primarily peddling “pharmaceuticals,” are increasingly including PDF and HTML attachments that launch malicious software if you open them.
Yes, antivirus helps against some of these attacks, but it’s not always effective because antivirus typically needs to be familiar with a piece of malware in order to detect it.
However, consumers can arm themselves against these trends. In our next blog post, we’ll outline our recommendations.