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Cyber criminals move focus to web |
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Cyber criminals will increasingly turn their attention to the web and away from e-mail security in 2007, according to a new report.
Security firm Sophos found that the US hosts more than a third of websites hosting malicious code, as well as sending more spam than other nations.
Lax security on US-hosted websites is one of the key reasons the US remains a hotspot for cyber crime, said Sophos.
The UK hosts 0.5% of so-called malware and sends out 1.9% of spam.
The number of websites being infected with malware - malicious software - is on the rise with Sophos uncovering an average of 5,000 new URLs hosting malicious code each day.
Shifting tactics
"The internet now represents the easiest way for cyber criminals to gain entry to corporate networks, as more users are accessing unregulated sites, downloading applications and streaming audio/video," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant for Sophos.
"A great many businesses aren't geared up to gain insight into users' online behaviour, let alone control it," she added.
Hackers have turned to other routes for infecting computers as companies realise the need to secure e-mail gateways.
They are also subtly changing tactics - instead of sending so-called spyware-infected e-mails, they are sending e-mails linking to websites which contain a malicious downloader.
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