Threat Report States Malware Threat Is Stronger Than Ever

According to the latest McAfee Threats Report, the threat of malware is stronger than it has been in the last four years. The McAfee Threats Report for the Second Quarter 2012 found an increase in malware compared to the first quarter of this year (which was previously rated as the busiest period in recent history). This increase is significant: There were 1.5 million more unique malware samples in McAfee's "zoo" collection than the previous quarter.

Overall, McAfee found growth in established rootkits as well as an increase among password-stealing Trojans. Mac users aren't immune, either: McAfee found a continued growth in malware that targets the Mac.

Another key finding in the report is the emergence of mobile “drive-by downloads” as a new attack vector, the use of Twitter for control of mobile botnets, and the appearance of mobile “ransomware” to extract funds from unsuspecting victims.  As far as mobile threats are concerned, Android is the most popular target.

There is a bit of positive news from the report: although spam saw small increases in certain parts of the world, the overall long-term trend is on the decline.