Microsoft Security Intelligence Report shows rogue security software increase

On Wednesday Microsoft Corp. presented the sixth version of its Microsoft Security Intelligence Report. It reveals a significant growth of defective security software. The report also says about the evidence of the fact that mainly common third-party desktop applications are targeted by threats. The No. 1 reason for data breaches, according to the report, is lost and stolen computer equipment.

The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report shows that rogue security software is now among the top threats throughout the world. Thus, for instance, two malware families were detected by Microsoft software on more than 1.5 million computers: Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen. They are staying on the top of 10 threats in the second half of the year. Moreover, Win32/Renos, a threat that is used to deliver rogue security software, was detected on 4.4 million unique computers, reflecting a 66.6% growth over the first half of 2008. 

Rogue security software and other social engineering attacks such as these compromise people's privacy and are costly; some take personal information and drain bank accounts, while others infect computers and hurt productivity. 

The report also said hat Microsoft continues to advance its secure software significantly and the newer versions are more secure than previous ones. It showed that as software companies have improved the security of their operating systems, attackers have shifted their focus to the application layer, where the majority of vulnerabilities are now being reported: almost 90% of vulnerabilities disclosed in the second half of 2008 affected applications.

 Lost and stolen equipment, as report said, continues to be the most common cause of security breaches resulting in data loss publicly reported in the second half of 2008, making 50% of total incidents. To prevent this threat, organizations should implement strong data governance practices to help protect data from criminal access.