Localised attacks add to phishing increase

More targets also contribute to rise in malware

Phishing attacks now account for almost a third of all malware threats, according to figures published this week.

Separate intelligence reports from vendors MessageLabs and Kaspersky Labs cite increased sophistication as a reason for the rise in phishing attempts.

One in 460 emails in July was a phishing message, compared with one in 321 reported in August. Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs, says localised attacks are a significant contributory factor.

‘As little as two years ago phishing attacks were almost exclusively in English or American English. Now you see fake banking portals in most dialects.’

The ‘spam cannon’ technique is also increasingly being used. The process involves a phisher connecting to a compromised machine and putting a template of the message to be sent out, with a list of addresses and additional details such as names and personal data gained from social-networking sites.

‘The machine then transmits millions of messages whereas in the past it would have been hundreds of thousands,’ said Sunner. ‘It seems to be exclusively the work of the Russian phishing gangs, but we can expect the community to share this stuff.’

An increase in targets is also responsible for the rise.

‘Traditionally the bulk of attacks targeted banks,’ said Sunner. ‘That is not abating, but now we are seeing an increase in attacks on other portals, such as eBay, PayPal, anybody with a portal of worth, and intranet sites where the login is of value.’

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: ‘About 75 per cent of all phishing emails are now directed at eBay and PayPal customers. Those are global brands used by millions of people, whereas a typical bank may produce more lucrative results, but with less customers to target.’

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) recently reported that instances of malware sites have risen 40 per cent in a year.

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