According to PandaLabs, 53.6 percent of the new malware samples in 2006 were Trojans. Spyware only accounted for 1.5 percent of the new specimens. However, spyware infected the most computers, responsible for 38.9 percent of all computer infections detected by Panda ActiveScan, Panda Softwareís free, online scanner (available at http://www.activescan.com).
The number of new variants of Trojans appearing increased throughout 2006, especially during the last quarter.
Trojans are a type of malicious code used to obtain confidential data such as bank account passwords. The large number of new variants in 2006 is due to the fact that this type of malware is ideally suited to the current trend of using malware for fraud. Spyware, however, gathers information about the target user, such as web pages visited, searches made, etc, allowing companies that use it to generate more personalised and profitable advertising. Despite their differences, Trojans and spyware have a common objective: to aid criminals to obtain money.
Bots are the second malware category with most variants in circulation (14%), whereas backdoor Trojans come third with 13.6 percent. Bots are programs that go resident on computers, awaiting ëcommandsí from their creators, who can then take control of the affected system to carry out activities such as spamming. Backdoor Trojans are programs that let attackers access computers remotely.
ìBoth bots and backdoor Trojans have proved to be very useful for those looking for financial gain, and thatís the reason for their proliferation. On occasions, they have served as platforms for cyber-criminals to spread other types of malware, through so-called botnets, which allow attackers to command all computers infected by a bot to download certain spyware or Trojan from a web pageî, explains Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs.
Dialers, programs that connect users to the Internet through a premium-rate number, accounted for 6.2 percent of new variants detected, followed by worms (5.5%). The number of new specimens of worms remained constant throughout 2006. Dialers, however, decreased significantly after the first quarter, and then remained at the same level for the rest of the year.
ìAlthough large epidemics caused by a single malware sample have almost disappeared, the appearance of new malware never stops. This false sense of security works in favour of criminals, as they can launch silent attacks more easily. Also, the greater the number of new malware variants in circulation, the greater the risk of a computer becoming affected by any of themî, explains Corrons.
Trojans accounted for more than half of all new malware in 2006, reports PandaLabs
Spyware was the type of malware that infected most computers, responsible for 38.9% of infections detected by ActiveScan
