Cyber criminals turn pro

Cybercrime is becoming an increasingly professional business with malware toolkits sold on the internet and confidential details being traded in an underground economy.

That's according to the latest Internet Security Threat Report from security vendor Symantec, which suggests cyber criminals are getting increasingly organised.

The six-monthly report uses data from Symantec's Global Intelligence Network which monitors activity in 180 countries.

Security from A to Z

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A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X

The security company said it received 212,101 reports of new malicious code threats during the first six months of 2007 - a 185 per cent increase on the previous six months.

Symantec points to MPack as an example of the black market malware toolkits that are increasingly available. The program launches malware onto computers when web users visit certain websites and Symantec believes that it is professionally developed and sold for around $1,000.

The security company said further evidence of more organised malicious online activity is an increase in 'underground economy servers' used by criminals to buy and sell stolen information to carry out identity theft.

Information being traded includes credit card details, PINs, addresses and bank account details. Credit card details were the most frequently advertised for sale on these servers, accounting for 22 per cent of all items sold.

Other points from the report include the US being the top country of origin for malicious online attacks, accounting for 25 per cent of all global attack activity.

Symantec data also showed that 52,771 computers were being infected by botnets per day during the period - an increase of 17 per cent on the previous six months.