Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Identifies Shift Toward Focused Attacks on Desktops

Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Identifies Shift Toward Focused Attacks on Desktops

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today released its eighth volume of the Internet Security Threat Report, one of the most comprehensive sources of Internet threat data in the world. The semiannual report, covering the six-month period from January 1 to June 30, 2005, identified new methods of using malicious code for financial gain with increasing frequency to target desktops rather than enterprise perimeters.

The report also found a rise in the exposure of confidential information. Such threats can result in significant financial loss, particularly if credit card information or banking details are exposed. Moreover, these concerns are more worrisome as online shopping and Internet banking continue to increase in popularity. During the first half of 2005, malicious code that exposed confidential information represented 74 percent of the top 50 malicious code samples reported to Symantec, up from 54 percent in the previous six months.

“Attackers are moving away from large, multipurpose attacks on network perimeters and toward smaller, more targeted attacks directed at Web and client-side applications,” said Arthur Wong, vice president of Symantec Security Response and Managed Security Services. “As the threat landscape continues to change, users need to be diligent in keeping systems up-to-date with security patches and security solutions.”

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