Malware staying longer in infected sites

By Isabelle Chaize

According to the most recent threat report form Scansafe, growing numbers of legitimate sites are unwittingly playing host to malware.

What is more, these sites are staying infected for longer, with their operators oblivious to the malware sitting under their noses. This means that some sites are not being purged of malicious codes for as much as two months.

According to Mary Landesman, senior security researcher at ScanSafe, new threats made up only 21% of all the malware blocked by Scansafe.

‘The numbers speak for themselves,’ she said. ‘This malware is remaining active on sites for weeks and in some cases months, leaving users exposed and representing a huge window of opportunity for cyber criminals.’

The most common types of infection were Trojans which steal passwords from online banking accounts, as well as internet gaming websites which are increasingly becoming more of a worry for businesses.

In the report it is also noted that the complicated network of online advertising creates a simple way for hackers to insert malware onto a site in the form of an advertisement.

In 2007 malicious adverts were placed on various high-profile sites, including sports websites such as the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, as well as MySpace and The Sun’s site.