Worst Web Threats of 2008 (So Far)
July 27, 2008 · Print This Article
Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, Back to School Guide 2008
Web security firm Sophos just published its study of security threats for the first six months of 2008, and you’d be wise to take heed of its findings. The Internet is a dangerous place, and every year it becomes more and more dangerous for you and your personal data. The study is long and dull, so we put together some quick bullet points to save you some time and head scratching:
- 2008 has seen an explosion in malicious software, three times more than in 2007.
- Google-owned Blogger (which helps create those blogs with ‘blogspot’ in the address bar) is the most common host for malicious software.
- Hackers and spammers use social sites like Facebook and MySpace with increasing frequency to spread spyware and viruses.
- Attacks against Macs, iPhones and Linux machines have increased dramatically.
- SMS spam messages (text messages) are an emerging front and is of particular concern in China.
- Even though still common, attacks via e-mail have decreased in the first half of 2008.
As usual, there are ways to defend yourself against such attacks. Getting yourself a firewall program is a good begin, but don’t forget about anti-virus and anti-spyware tools as well. Still, the ideal defense is caution and diligence. Don’t follow suspicious links or open e-mails if you don’t know the sender.
It’s a hazardous world out there on the Web, but with a little smarts and the right tools you and your data will be safe. [Source: Business Wire]
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