A study indicated that there have been at least 100,000 forms of malware created this year.  Even though there is still another month, the unfortunate thing is that this number is only going to grow in 2008, but is that really surprising.  Now that hacking has turned from a computer-enthusiasts hobby (on their own systems) to a full-scale criminal business, this number is probably only going to rise for quite some time.  The new targets to keep in mind this year are the growth of VoIP services and the continuous evolution of Web 2.0.

Security group McAfee recorded more than 100 000 new viruses and Trojans this year and is expecting the threat landscape to continue to expand.

McAfee Avert Labs’ new report, “Top 10 Threat Predictions for 2008”, forecasts the proliferation of various threats following an explosion in the use of new technology, such as voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Web 2.0.

A positive prediction in the report is a further 30% decline in adware next year. This McAfee attributes to a combination of lawsuits, better defences and negativity surrounding advertising through this medium. In addition, major players such as Direct Revenue and Claria are no longer participating.

On the negative side, the group also predicts a large increase in the number of attacks on Web 2.0 sites as a way to distribute malware. Compromises and malware at Salesforce.com, Monster.com and MySpace, among others, represent a new trend in attacking online applications and social networking sites, according to the report.[more]

Tags: Malware