Symantec had just announced the findings of its Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17, which shows that the number of malicious attacks have risen to a worrisome 81% globally. Additionally, the report also highlights that advanced targeted attacks are spreading to organisations of all sizes and variety, and that data breaches are increasing. Mobile threats are also having larger focus, too.
“Symantec has observed a large increase in malicious attacks through mobile devices, making these devices a viable platform for attackers to leverage in targeting sensitive data, especially if they are used to store corporate information,” said Raymond Goh, Symantec’s senior regional director for systems engineering and alliances in Asia South Region.”With the increasing mobile penetration in Malaysia, organisations needs to be vigilant in protecting their confidential information on these devices.”
The report noted that Symantec had blocked more than 5.5 billion malicious attacks in 2011, an increase of 81% over the previous year. The number of unique malware variants has increased to 403 million and web attack blocks per day increased by 36%. Symantec points out that targeted attacks are growing, with a rate of 82 attacks per day. Targets no longer limit themselves to large organisations; more than 50% of such attacks target organisations of fewer than 2,500 employees, and 18% target companies with fewer than 250 employees. Less well-defended ecosystem is a main cause.
Read more of the report here, which also include videos and podcasts. We think you ought to check it out.
