Is Windows Security Actually Secure? - The Internet Security Threat Report
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The Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, which is released for the benefit of consumers and those in the media, offers analysis and discussion of threat activity over a one-year period. It covers Internet threat activities, vulnerabilities, malicious code, phishing, spam, and security risks, among other things. Previously presented every six months, this volume of theSymantec Global Internet Security Threat Reportwill alert readers to trends and impending threats that Symantec has observed for 2008.
The fourteenth version of this much-anticipated report was released on April 14, 2009 and is currently available forviewing. The report is not for the faint of heart -- or the paranoid. If you’re the type who finds themselves constantly worrying about your personal information online and views the Internet as a frightening, dangerous place full of digital pickpockets and online identity thieves, your fears will only be validated by Symantec’s findings.
We’ll get to the findings in a moment; first it’s important to understand just how thorough Symantec is when it comes to compiling their Internet security threat report. The Norton-creator has established some of the most comprehensive sources of Internet threat data in the world through their Global Intelligence Network.
More than 240,000 sensors in over 200 countries monitor attack activity through a combination of Symantec products and services, such as the company’s DeepSight Threat Management System, Managed Security Services and Norton consumer products, as well as additional third-party data sources. Symantec also gathers malicious code intelligence from more than 130 million client, server, and gateway systems that have deployed its antivirus products. Additionally, Symantec’s distributed honeypot network collects data from around the globe, capturing previously unseen threats and attacks and providing valuable insight into attacker methods.
How the Report Works
The Symantec Internet Security Threat Report essentially consists of four reports: the Global Internet Security Threat Report; the EMEA Internet Security Threat Report, for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region; the APJ Internet Security Threat Report, for the Asia-Pacific/Japan region; and the Government Internet Security Threat Report, which focuses on threats of specific interest to governments and critical infrastructure sectors.
Together, these reports provide a detailed overview and analysis of Internet threat activity, malicious code, and known vulnerabilities. Trends in phishing and spam are also assessed, as are observed activities on underground economy servers. The company obviously doesn’t mess around when it comes to security threats, butexactly how safe were Internet users in 2008? The findings were quite grim.
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