Web malware jumps 21% in October 2008

In its monthly Global Threat Report, ScanSafe reported that not only did the rate of Web-delivered malware increase sharply in October, the month ended as the single highest month of 2008. Given that 2008 has been the highest year on record for Web-delivered malware, this outcome is particularly concerning.

According to the latest ScanSafe Global Threat Report, 65% of malware blocks in October 2008 resulted from visits to compromised websites.

The report also noted that in October 2008, 13% of all Web malware blocks were from encounters with backdoors and password stealers. This is alarming given that the vast majority of all Web-based malware is blocked at the initial stage of encounter and thus indicates attackers are increasingly employing methods that allow them to engage more directly with users.

The risk of Web malware encounters from search engine results pages is also higher than previous months, at 9.3% of all encounters.