Author Topic: America still hosts the most computer virus/study finds!!!  (Read 1498 times)

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samuelvirucide

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America still hosts the most computer virus/study finds!!!
« on: December 28, 2008, 06:18:30 AM »
 Hi forum members,

     A new report released by anti-virus and security firm Sophos put 2008's online threats into perspective and give a hint of what 2009 may bring for all of us connected folks out there.

Here are some of the reports biggest finds: The United States is still the source of most malware; current events like the election or financial crisis are the topics of most scam e-mail messages; and Apple Macintosh users' overconfidence in their computers' ability to ward off viruses could cost them in the long run.

According to Sophos the "U.S. hosts 37 percent of all malware sites followed by China (27.7 percent) and Russia (9.1 percent)." And the United States' share is increasing, despite some high-profile shut downs of major malware purveyors, going up 37 percent in 2008. By contrast, though, what are the benefits of living in a totalitarian society like China? China's share of malware dropped by nearly 50 percent during that time. (Proving once again that freedom isn't free.)

Plenty of spam e-mail took advantage of interest in the political process and the financial mess we're in. Promises of secrets about the presidential candidates or ways to make and save money led the way, and more than a few people clicked links they shouldn't have and provided personal information to the ne'er-do-wells out there in cyberspace.

The curious point among all these expected security highlights? That Apple Macintosh users, who so far haven't had to suffer much from computer viruses, may see the growing popularity of their computer platform lead to a growing interest by those who write computer viruses. And since the Mac users are so confident in their platform's insulation from attack, they may in fact be more likely to leave their computers open to risk. But on that risk front only time will tell. [Source: ARS Technica.]