Viruses, Malware and Botnet Zombies at an all time high

Spam volumes have increased 141
percent since March, continuing the longest streak of increasing spam
volumes ever, according to McAfee's Q2 Threats Report. The report also
highlights the dramatic expansion of botnets and the threat from
Auto-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.

More
than 14 million computers have been enslaved by cybercriminal botnets,
a 16 percent increase over last quarter’s rise. The report confirmed
McAfee’s first quarter prediction that the surge in botnet growth would
send spam levels to new heights, surpassing their previous peak in
October 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 exploits
Windows’ Auto-Run capabilities, does not require any user clicks to
activate, and is most often spread through portable USB and storage
devices. 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 or
drone armies) are networks of compromised computers infected with
viruses or malware to turn them into “zombies” or “robots” – computers
that can be controlled without the owners’ knowledge. Criminals use the
collective computing power and connected bandwidth of these
externally-controlled networks for malicious purposes and criminal
activities, including, inter alia, generation of spam e-mails,
launching of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, alteration
or destruction of data, and identity theft.

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

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

As the number of bots continues to
grow, malware writers have begun to offer malicious software as a
service to those who control botnets. By exchanging or selling
resources, cybercriminals distribute new malware to wider audiences
instantaneously. Programs like Zeus - an easy-to-use Trojan creation
tool - continue to make the creation and management of malware even
easier.