As Holiday Internet Shopping Increased 25 Percent Over 2005, Spyware and Malware Jumped 41 Percent This Christmas Season

HTMLPrimer.com
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; 09:00 AM

The Malware Research Center (MRC) reported that as holiday shopping has increased 25 percent over 2005, Internet cyber thieves have been equally busy.

“We are seeing increased infections with strains of Backdoor and Trojan malware, as well as ‘spear phishing’ activity (that redirects users to malicious websites),” said Michael Greene, Vice President for Product Strategy.

According to ComScore, last Wednesday was the biggest online shopping day of the year with nearly $670 million in sales. And, for 2006, there have been at least 12 days where Christmas sales have topped $600 million.

“With all of this shopping activity fraudsters are hacking away attempting to steal holiday cheer from Internet users. We are not surprised by these increases,” said Greene, who explained that these threats are becoming even more virulent this season.

“There is a clear shift from virus vandalism to cyber crime. We are continuing to monitor these targeted attacks on the enterprise sector and on individuals,” Greene said.

Looking into the New Year, Greene said the transition from viruses to spyware will probably continue. “We believe with the introduction of Microsoft Vista™ Internet, hackers will find greater rewards in producing even more dangerous threats.”

Greene said PC Tools is offering “wraparound” protection for Vista through the introduction of a new generation of award-winning Spyware Doctor⁽¹⁾ for both consumers and enterprise clients that will be available in January.

⁽¹⁾ Current awards include: PC Magazine Best Anti-Spyware 2005, Editor’s Choice 2006; Windows XP Magazine, Editor’s Choice; PC Pro Recommended 2006, A List product; PC Answers Editor’s Choice 2006; PC Advisor Gold award 2006; PC User ‘Top Buy’ 2006; Computer Shopper Best Anti-Spyware of 2006.

ABOUT PC Tools Limited™

PC Tools is a global security software leader with products including award-winning Spyware Doctor along with effective anti-spyware products. The PC Tools Malware Research Center monitors trends and emerging spyware issues and provides security solutions for the consumer and enterprise marketplace. The company is headquartered in Sydney, with offices in San Francisco, London, Dublin, Melbourne, and Kiev. PC Tools has a global network of distributors, resellers, and retailers.