GFI Software has warned Internet users to be cautious of likely search term targets for scammers, such as team and player news for the upcoming NFL season and rumors surrounding the next iPhone.
GFI’s top 10 threat detection list is compiled from collected scan data of tens of thousands of GFI VIPRE Antivirus customers who are part of GFI’s ThreatNet automated threat tracking system.
ThreatNet statistics revealed that half of the top 10 threat detections found during July 2011 continue to be Trojans, mostly detected in generic form.
The exploitation of high-profile news, events and products through SEO poisoning, malicious URLs and spam attacks remains a popular disguise.
GFI also reported on how spam and malware can compromise users visiting legitimate websites like SourceForge, where a number of pages had been linking to a site distributing the rogue antivirus FakeRean.
GFI Software senior threat researcher Christopher Boyd said the fake autowhaler, rogue codec suite and other threats they uncovered in July underscore the growing sophistication and creativity of malware authors, and the continued evolution of cybercrime tactics.
"The autowhaler is especially telling because it demonstrates that even cybercriminals are not safe from infection on the Internet. If you are online, you are a target. Users need to remain vigilant because malware writers are constantly finding new ways to camouflage their scams," Boyd said.
"If you do get a message that appears to be from a bank, retailer or vendor you do business with, but they are asking for personal information, passwords or account numbers, don’t respond.
"If it’s something that users feel requires a response or further investigation, they should contact the purported sender through a known and trusted phone number to verify if the request is legitimate."
