Online fraud rings are increasingly turning to automated systems that are driving the number of malware and phishing attacks to all-time highs, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.
The number of sites infecting PCs with password-stealing crimeware reached an all-time high of 31,173 in December, an 827% increase from January 2008, according to the international coalition created to combat electronic crime.
The number of unique keyloggers and crimeware-oriented malicious applications, meanwhile, rose to an all-time high of 1,519 in July, the group said.
The surge is an indicator of electronic crime gangs investing heavily in automated systems aimed at stealing both personal and enterprise data, the APWG said.
"The continued rise in targeted brands suggests that phishers are scaling their operations to conduct multi-brand attacks," added Blake Hayward, vice president of product marketing at APWG member MarkMonitor.
The full report is available at www.antiphishing.org.
