Security Stats Show Mobile Malware, XSS as Top Concerns

By Sean Michael Kerner | Posted 2013-09-27

The IT world is seemingly under constant attack from all corners of the globe, at all times. Reports out in recent weeks provide fresh fuel for the analysis of IT security and what is under attack. Among the major trends is the fact that mobile malware continues to rise. According to F-Secure's "Threat Report H1 2013," in July there were 257,443 pieces of mobile malware on Android, up from 73,084 in January. The "IBM X-Force 2013 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report" identified cross-site scripting (XSS) as the top Web application vulnerability so far this year. IBM also reported that the main consequence of being exploited is that an attacker was able to gain access to a given site or company. Although the midyear reports show lots of attack activity, they are not all doom and gloom. The "Financial Services Industry Threat Report 1H 2013" from cloud security vendor SilverSky, actually has some good news; from its vantage point, security incidents have actually declined in the first half of 2013 in comparison to last year. In this slide show, eWEEK examines key data points from reports from SilverSky, F-Secure and IBM.

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Security Stats Show Mobile Malware, XSS as Top Concerns

by Sean Michael Kerner
Android Malware Is Rising

Data from F-Secure shows strong growth for malware, spyware and adware on Android.
Mac Malware Is Growing—Slowly

F-Secure also found that malware targeting Apple's Mac OS is growing, though the total number remains small.
Blackhole is the Top Exploit Kit

According to F-Secure's data, 71 percent of all exploit-kit detections came from only five exploit kits: Blackhole, SweetOrange, Crimeboss, Styx and Cool.
Exploit Kits: A Global Problem

SilverSky found that malicious IP addresses in the U.S. and Germany were hosting exploit kits as well as launching remote scans against targets.
Top 10 Threats for Financial Institutions

SilverSky found the Blackhole Exploit kit to be the top threat for financial institutions, followed closely by the Darkleech exploit kit.
Security Incidents for Financial Institutions Are Declining

There is a silver lining in the SilverSky data: So far in 2013, security incidents are fewer than they were at the same point last year.
Security Disclosures Are Flat

IBM's also has good news on the security front. According to IBM, the current forecast for 2013 is for almost the same number of vulnerability disclosures as were reported in 2012.
Top Web Application Vulnerability: Cross-Site Scripting

According to IBM, cross-site scripting (XSS) accounts for more than half of all Web application vulnerabilities.
The Consequences of Exploitation

According to the IBM, the top consequence of an organization being exploited is that an attacker gains access.
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