Computer virus infection rates drop

But cyber criminals are getting smarter, says DTI and PWC security report

Despite computer virus infection rates dropping by 33 per cent over the past two years, security issues are still causing businesses downtime and financial loss, according to a new government survey.

In the past two years, virus infections have been the cause of 50 per cent of businesses' worst security incidents, says the Information Security Breaches 2006 survey, conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

And despite companies improving how they patch IT systems against vulnerabilities they are still at risk, because internet criminals are adapting how they use malicious code.

'The threats and the risks now seen by information security professionals have now taken on an ever increasing complexity,' said Tony Neate, head of industry liason at the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit.

The DTI survey shows that nearly 90 per cent of UK businesses apply security patches within a week of their release by vendors, with larger companies tending to be slower than smaller ones, due to testing procedures.

But cyber-criminals are now blending malware – such as viruses, spam, Trojans and spyware – and are tailoring it to try and go undetected.

Spyware, used by criminals to try and steal sensitive corporate data, represents one of the greatest threats with a quarter of UK businesses failing to protect themselves, warns the DTI.

Businesses in the financial services, travel, leisure and entertainment industry patch the fastest against security vulnerabilities, with 70 per cent doing so within a day. Telecommunications firms are the slowest and are most susceptible to infection, the report says.

The DTI urged businesses to ensure that they have the latest security patches and anti-virus updates in place, use anti-spyware software and regularly monitor and audit its security practices.

The full report will be released at InfoSecurity Europe in London in April.