The hacking community has run out of fresh ideas when it comes to creating new malware, according to a report by internet security company, Kaspersky Lab.

Malware evolution between July and September 2006 suggests that while the hacking community is developing ‘proof of concept’ code for new platforms, it is unlikely that it will translate in to malware capable of causing substantial and lasting damage.

Alex Gostev, senior virus analyst at Kaspersky Lab said: 'The overwhelming trends throughout 2006 indicate that the well of truly new ideas has run dry. Virus writers are feverishly trying to defend their creations against new protective technologies by creating proof of concept code for new platforms.'

'However, these creations do not yet have a footing in reality: we are not seeing threats that would be able to cause millions and millions of pounds of damage, as Klez, Mydoom, Lovesan and Sasser did in the past,' said Gostev.

The report says the current malware landscape is characterised by a mixture of occasionally interesting and intermittently technical malicious code, such as viruses using cryptographic techniques.

Gostev says virus writers and the anti-virus community have reached a stalemate: 'We're currently experiencing something of a stand-off,' he said.

'Anti-virus companies are working at the limits of their capabilities in terms of speed, and have, to a great extent, already reached certain technical boundaries in terms of technologies employed. Virus writers find the current reaction times of anti-virus companies - which can be a few hours or as little as a few minutes - acceptable, and have come to terms with what they can achieve within these windows of opportunity.'

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