During National Cyber Security Awareness Month, GFI Software urges all users to be vigilant and educate themselves about online dangers
GFI Software today announced the top 10 most prevalent threat detections for September 2011. Notable threats last month included a fraudulent online storefront promising cheap HP Touchpads, poisoned search engine results targeting users searching onYahoo and Bing, and spam promising a U.S. green card.
“Last month, cybercriminals and scammers once again demonstrated their ability to quickly respond to high-profile events and exploit our online search behavior,” said Christopher Boyd, senior threat researcher at GFI Software. “As convincing as some of these threats appear, in many cases users can avoid falling victim by simply typing web addresses into their browsers themselves to ensure they were visiting official websites, instead of relying solely on search engine results or links found on social networks. At official websites, users can verify the veracity of claims and special offers, and download software directly from a legitimate source.”
For example, HP Touchpads were in high demand last month as retailers slashed prices in order to reduce inventories of the discontinued and unsupported tablet computer. Scammers attempted to capitalize on this demand by preying upon those searching for online sales. Users were lured to sites mimicking popular online technology retailers who boasted having limited supplies available. Upon checkout, users were asked to complete a quick online survey, which they did in hopes of obtaining an inexpensive Touchpad. Surveys of this kind are generally used to procure personal information and email addresses that will expose users to future spam and other online threats. Meanwhile, the Yahoo and Bing search engines were also targeted by scams in which users trying to download Firefox, Skype, Adobe or other popular software products were met with links that sent them to malware-laden websites.
Stay Safe Online
The White House has declared October to be National Cyber Security Awareness Month. GFI urges all users to be vigilant and educate themselves about online dangers by visiting www.staysafeonline.org. Additionally, GFI tracks and reports on numerous threats at its GFI Labs and Malware Protection Center blogs, and it offers users security and online safety advice through its VIPRE Security News newsletter and blog.
This month, GFI warns users to be on guard for Halloween-related scams, including spam, email attachments and video links on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, even those links that appear to be sent by friends and followers. As interest continues to build over the 2012 primary election cycle, GFI also recommends users be extra aware when contacted online for political donations or when searching the web for candidate information at home and at work.
GFI Software, which last week unveiled the newest version ofGFI VIPRE® Antivirus Business, warns SMBs that a robust antivirus solution is paramount in protecting their businesses and employees from online threats. With scams growing in sophistication and frequency, consumers and business users alike must be aware of how they are using the Internet and the dangerous practices that can open them up to attacks. Consumers can learn more about GFI’s home antivirus software at www.vipreantivirus.com.
Top 10 Threat Detections for September
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 Trojans still dominated the month. The Sality virus (Virus.Win32.Salilty) is on the list, and Conficker (worm.win32.downad) a worm that is more than two years old, is still seen making the rounds.
| Detection | Type | Percent |
| Trojan.Win32.Generic | Trojan | 30.1 |
| Trojan.Win32.Adware | Adware (General) | 1.54 |
| Yontoo (v) | Adware (General) | 1.45 |
| Backdoor.Win32.cycbot | Backdoor | 1.39 |
| INF.Autorun (v) | Trojan | 1.39 |
| Worm.Win32.Downad | Worm | 1.25 |
| Trojan.Win32.Jpgiframe (v) | Trojan | 1.03 |
| Pinball Corporation. (v) | Adware (General) | 0.90 |
| Trojan.JS.Redirector (v) | Trojan | 0.88 |
| Virus.Win32.Salilty (v) | Virus.W32 | 0.87 |
About GFI Labs
GFI Labs specializes in the discovery and analysis of dangerous vulnerabilities and malware that could be exploited for Internet and email attacks. The research team actively researches new malware outbreaks, creating and testing new threat definitions on a constant basis.
About GFI
GFI Software provides web and mail security, archiving, backup and fax, networking and security software and hosted IT solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) via an extensive global partner community. GFI products are available either as on-premise solutions, in the cloud or as a hybrid of both delivery models. With award-winning technology, a competitive pricing strategy, and a strong focus on the unique requirements of SMBs, GFI satisfies the IT needs of organizations on a global scale. The company has offices in the United States (North Carolina, California and Florida), UK (London and Dundee), Austria, Australia, Malta, Hong Kong, Philippines and Romania, which together support hundreds of thousands of installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with thousands of partners throughout the world and is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.