Research Examines Global Trends In 2010 Network, Internet Security Threats

  • Jan 07, 2011

SonicWALL, Inc. recently released its end-of-year summary of cybersecurity intelligence. The report reveals global trends in potentially threatening network activity and application usage. Data for the summary was collected throughout 2010 from the SonicWALL Global Response Intelligent Defense (GRID) Network.

The data is broken out geographically, with more than 30 countries represented. The GRID consists of millions of SonicWALL anti-spam and e-mail security sensors located worldwide. It provides the company's clients with up-to-the-minute information about viruses, vulnerabilities and spyware. Analyzing the GRID data, SonicWALL identified significant security threats facing consumers and institutions. The threats include intrusions and malicious software, as well as security threats to antivirus software and e-mail applications. Based on its data, SonicWALL identified trends that impact both employee and network performance.

"Our research is an ongoing effort to dynamically adapt our products and services to provide our customers with comprehensive security for their data and networks," said Boris Yanovsky, vice president of software engineering at SonicWALL. "The results of this report highlight the cyclical nature of cyber-security threats, from both weekly and yearly perspectives. Enterprises need to be especially alert to times of elevated risk, in particular the winter holiday season, and prepare an action plan of defense."

Among the findings:

  • The most active day for threat-related traffic worldwide is Tuesday, with Monday a close second. This pattern holds true for the U.S., China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, and several European countries.  
  • The most active time for threat-related traffic in the United States is between the hours of 10 and 11 a.m., Pacific Time . 
  • China and Taiwan top the list as the most heavily hit countries for worldwide threat-related traffic. Taiwan, New Zealand and South Africa are the countries most heavily hit with malware. The Netherlands, China and Taiwan lead the list for the most heavily hit countries with intrusion-related threats and multimedia threats.  
  • Within the GRID, the most popular poisoned Google search terms during year 2010 were related to the Oscar awards. Search terms included: "what time do the Oscars start," "Oscars 2010 tv schedule," "academy awards 2010 time," "Oscar ballot 2010 printable" and "Oscar winners 2010 list."  
  • Viruses continue to infect computers and networks worldwide.  Top malware threats prevalent during 2010 were Conficker worm, Bredolab Trojans, Zeus Bots, SpyEye Bots, FakeAV Trojans, Oficla Trojans, as well as malwares and Web exploit kits such as Gumblar and Phoenix.  
  • Seasonal trends governed the occurrence of most computer exploits. Over the last three years, SonicWALL's signature hits indicating viruses, worms, Trojans and other forms of malware revealed these seasonal trends:  
  • Trojans peak in September and December, corresponding with the proliferation of back-to-school offers and holiday greeting cards  
  • Worms spike in December, correlating with the winter holidays  
  • Adware threats peak in September, October and December, correlating to more ads offered up from online advertisers trying to reach a more receptive online audience  
  • Malware activity in 2010 has already increased with the onset of the holiday season. This year alone, the amount of malware has tripled compared to year 2009. Overall, it is expected to become twice the levels seen for the same period over the previous two years.    
     
    Phishing fraud and website spoofing continue to be serious problems. As online transactions continue to grow, the number of e-mails soliciting people to go to bogus websites, too. Consumers entering personal data on falsified Web pages risk having their identity stolen, their finances hijacked or their computers downloading unwanted and malicious software. SonicWALL is continually adding new entries to its list of institutions likely to be targets of spoofing attacks intended to harvest usernames, passwords and other sensitive customer information. In November alone, SonicWALL added 10 new organizations including banks, payment processing companies and an Internet phone service provider.  
      
    "These findings give IT administrators insight how to best prepare their networks for the upcoming year," Yanovsky said. "With increasing proliferation of web security threats, signatures can't keep up -- heuristics, algorithms and behavioral analysis are needed to supplement signatures with proactive analysis. In addition to new social media threats, malware threats and the proliferation of fake AV software telling people that their computers are infected, IT also needs to think through security strategies for attacks focused on the Mac computer and mobile devices in 2011."

The complete report can be found here http://www.sonicwall.com/us/company/17444.html?cmp=PR-07012011ResearchOverview.

Featured

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.