Viruses, Malware and Botnet Zombies at an all time high

Spam volumes have increased 141percent since March, continuing the longest streak of increasing spamvolumes ever, according to McAfee's Q2 Threats Report. The report alsohighlights the dramatic expansion of botnets and the threat fromAuto-Run malware.

• The number of viruses sent over email has increased by 300 per cent in the last three months, according to Network Box. 

Analysis of Internet threats in July 2009 shows the number of viruses is at its highest so far this year, peaking at around 12 viruses per customer per hour.

Morethan 14 million computers have been enslaved by cybercriminal botnets,a 16 percent increase over last quarter’s rise. The report confirmedMcAfee’s first quarter prediction that the surge in botnet growth wouldsend spam levels to new heights, surpassing their previous peak inOctober 2008 before the takedown of the spam-hosting ISP McColo.

• McAfee researchers also found that, over the course of 30 days, Auto-Run malware had infected more than 27 million files. 

Auto-Run malware, which exploitsWindows’ Auto-Run capabilities, does not require any user clicks toactivate, and is most often spread through portable USB and storagedevices. The rate of detection surpasses even that of the infamous Conficker worm by 400 percent, making Auto-Run the number one piece of malware detected around the world.

Botnets (also called zombie armies ordrone armies) are networks of compromised computers infected withviruses or malware to turn them into “zombies” or “robots” – computersthat can be controlled without the owners’ knowledge. Criminals use thecollective computing power and connected bandwidth of theseexternally-controlled networks for malicious purposes and criminalactivities, including, inter alia, generation of spam e-mails,launching of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, alterationor destruction of data, and identity theft.

• Fourteen million additional computers have been turned into botnets or this quarter.

• Thataverages to more than 150,000 computers infected every day, or 20percent of the personal computers bought daily (Source: Gartner 2009).

As the number of bots continues togrow, malware writers have begun to offer malicious software as aservice to those who control botnets. By exchanging or sellingresources, cybercriminals distribute new malware to wider audiencesinstantaneously. Programs like Zeus - an easy-to-use Trojan creationtool - continue to make the creation and management of malware eveneasier.