Number of newly created software threats rises 15 percent daily

With computer usage on the rise, cybercriminals are increasingly developing new software designed to threaten and compromise their unassuming victims. According to a new report from PandaLabs, an internet security firm, the number of malware threats created daily has risen nearly 15 percent during 2010.

More than 63,000 pieces of malicious software are created every day by hackers. Fortunately, security service providers are able to neutralize more than one half of these new viruses the same day they come out. Still, one-third of currently active malware has been in existence for longer than 10 months, the report says.

"Since 2003, new threats have increased at a rate of 100 percent or more," Luis Corrons, PandaLabs' technical director, told IT Channel Planet. "Yet so far in 2010, purely new malware has increased by only 50 percent, significantly less than the historical norm."

PandaLab's new study emphasizes how important it is that consumers keep their antivirus software up-to-date. With more than 63,000 viruses created each day, they need to have the latest security software.

Twenty percent of Facebook users could fall victim to malware

With a growing audience of users, cybercriminals have increasingly turned to Facebook to proliferate their malicious viruses. Now, according to new research from the web security firm BitDefender, one-in-five Facebook users could be exposed to malware through their news feeds.

BitDefender reached this conclusion though its Safego app, which protects users from accidentally clicking malicious links. As WebProNews notes, this number may be conservative, as it doesn't count private messages. Additionally, those who downloaded the Safego app may also be more safety conscious than typical users.

"Twenty percent of Facebook users are exposed to malicious posts in their 'news feeds' of friends' activity, generally defined as posts that, when clicked on, result in 'the user's account being hijacked and in malware being automatically posted on the walls of the respective user's friends," comments BitDefender's Caroline McCarthy.

Over the summer, Facebook recorded its 500 millionth member. With that many potential victims, hackers are increasingly using the social network to launch attacks. Most recently, cybercriminals would send messages to users through hacked accounts that encourage recipients to click links to watch a funny video.

Cybercriminals target consumers with new Black Friday scams

The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is commonly regarded as the biggest shopping day of the year among many Americans. Cybercriminals also know this, and they are targeting consumers looking to get the best deals for their holiday shopping, The Epoch Times reports.

Hackers have set up fake shopping sites that spread malware when users try to download coupons or flyers. Additionally, some are also creating fake payment processors that are designed to steal credit card numbers, passwords and personal information from consumers.

According to web security firm Webroot, some American consumers have already fallen victim to Black Friday-related scams this holiday season. ThirtySeven4, another internet security service provider, also found that several websites that show up when users search "Best Buy Black Friday 2010 Deals" are infested with malware and computer viruses.

Cybercriminals frequently take advantage of popular events, such as Black Friday or popular movie releases, to proliferate their malware. Consumers need to be careful where they shop and should only visit trusted websites. 

Malware is up but spam is down, McAfee indicates

A new report from McAfee brings both good and bad news for avid computer users. While the volume of malicious software is rising, email spam is on the decline.

According to McAfee, spam hit a two-year low over the past quarter and has continued to decline over the past 12 months, both in the United States and abroad. A few countries did show increased levels of spam, though, including Russia, Greece, Belarus and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, malware has reached a new all-time high. More than 60,000 new threats are identified by the company every day – a number that has quadrupled since 2007. McAfee has discovered more than 14 million pieces of spam through the third quarter of 2010 – more than it did during the entirety of 2009.

"Cybercriminals are doing their homework, and are aware of what's popular, and what's insecure," CNet quotes Mike Gallagher, a senior vice president and chief technology officer at McAfee, as saying. "They are attacking mobile devices and social networking sites, so education about user activity online, as well as incorporating the proper security technologies, are of utmost importance."

Experts agree that the most effective way to defend against cybercriminals is to keep antivirus software up-to-date.

Imperva: Malware to become more threatening in 2011

Computer users are going to be at risk from even more highly evolved malware threats in the new year, the security firm Imperva predicts.

Cybercriminals will continue to fine-tune their attacks, with Imperva expecting malware to evolve significantly. This will make it more difficult for computer users to protect themselves from attack. The biggest catalyst will be the proliferation of mobile devices, which hackers can use to sneak into well-protected security networks. Additionally, the firm predicts that cybercriminals will turn their attention from smaller companies with less overall value to larger organizations in an effort to do more damage.

However, internet security providers will also be upgrading their defense mechanisms. For example, Imperva's Application Defense Center will protect user data that resides in the cloud.

"This will allow organizations to adopt cloud computing at a growing rate without giving up on security," Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer at Imperva, told ComputerWeekly.

Experts agree that the most effective way for computer users to protect themselves is by using antivirus software and keeping it up-to-date.

Cybercriminals target Harry Potter enthusiasts in new attacks

Moviegoers aren't the only ones looking forward to the upcoming release of the latest Harry Potter movie. According to a recent report from the security software vendor PC Tools, cybercriminals are already taking advantage of the film by using its popularity to proliferate their malicious software.

A number of Harry Potter fans are actively searching the web for previews and sneak peeks of the new movie. These unknowing individuals, however, are clicking a lot of links that lead to infected websites that hackers have created. Once they enter these websites, cybercriminals can trick them into downloading malicious code that may harm their computers or steal their identities.

"I am not sure if their main aim is really to collect survey information, but what I am sure of, is once you submit your personal details to them, they can do whatever they want with it," PC Tools researcher Alan Lee told eSecurity Planet.

Internet users should always be wary of the websites they visit and avoid any suspicious links. This will help protect them from being victimized by cybercriminals.