IT threats in 2005

01/04/2005. Predicting how malware will affect users throughout 2005 is not an easy task. Nevertheless, taking last year as a reference point, we shall try to give a global view of how things may unfold over the next 12 months.

- Financial gain: leitmotiv among creators of malware

Perhaps the most notable feature of 2004 was that it marked the end of the era in which the aims of the malware creators were primarily to achieve notoriety. The new trend that emerged, saw attackers driven by the prospect of financial gain through fraud or the theft and sale of confidential data. Spyware, for example, became one of the most feared threats in corporate environments, as borne out by the number of inquires from businesses concerned about the presence of spy programs in their systems received by Panda Software’s Tech Support services. Given this trend, in 2005 it is likely that spyware and other malicious code such as Trojans and adware used to steal confidential data will proliferate.

Similarly, phishing attacks are likely to become one of the most serious threats in the New Year. The techniques used for this kind of online fraud will become more complex and varied, although specialized Trojans are likely to figure prominently.

- Software vulnerabilities used to spread malicious code rapidly

If, during 2004, there has been a significant increase in attempts to discover and exploit new flaws in widely-used software, it is probable that we will witness a further increase in this kind of activity in 2005. Expect to see all types of malicious code taking advantage of recently discovered vulnerabilities in order to propagate widely and rapidly.

- Viruses affecting new platforms

One of the real surprises of 2004 was the appearance of Cabir, the first worm that affected cell phones. There’s no doubt that this is an area of increasing interest for the creators of malware and it is likely that attacks on cell phones and other platforms will be consolidated with the appearance of new ‘concept trials’ such as Cabir or even more dangerous specimens.

- No site is safe on the Net

Attacks perpetrated through downloads of malicious code from websites have increased notably throughout 2004. It is safe to say then, that these types of attacks will continue, particularly in relation to the appearance of security problems affecting Internet servers. Websites with seemingly trustworthy content could be used as platforms for propagating Trojans, spyware or adware.

Luis Corrons, head of PandaLabs, explains: “The last year has been a turning point for Internet threats. We can now distinguish between two types of malware creators: those who are motivated by financial gain and those who want to take malicious code a step further with e infection of new platforms and exploitation of new vulnerabilities, etc. Needless to say, we will still see the ‘traditional’ email worms that use social engineering, but as users become more experienced, they are likely to have less impact than in previous years.”

About PandaLabs

On receiving a possibly infected file, Panda Software´s technical staff get straight down to work. The file is analyzed and depending on the type, the action taken may include: disassembly, macro scanning, code analysis etc. If the file does in fact contain a new virus, the disinfection and detection routines are prepared and quickly distributed to users.
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