virus attack trend ???

[wpshooter]

I have not been hearing anything much about computer virus attacks lately (mind you that I am not complaining).

Is it that the *9@#)$*@ that spend their valuable time writing this stuff have began to lose interest in this childishness or has the state of virus protection and other security gotten so good that these viruses are having a harder time penetrating their defenses ?

Thanks.

moved from Software For Windows to Security

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

 

[EagleKeeper]

Shifted to Spam generation?

 

[wpshooter]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Shifted to Spam generation?

Is this due to the fact that there is possibly some money to made off of this, whereas the virus stuff is/was strictly for "fun" ?

Thanks.

 

[BadRobot]

Originally posted by: wpshooter

money

This.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: wpshooter
I have not been hearing anything much about computer virus attacks lately (mind you that I am not complaining).

Is it that the *9@#)$*@ that spend their valuable time writing this stuff have began to lose interest in this childishness or has the state of virus protection and other security gotten so good that these viruses are having a harder time penetrating their defenses ?

Thanks.

Kaspersky Lab reports that there were over 3100 new variants of just one piece of malware just in the last month alone. Sound like they're losing interest...? Not to me :evil: These "childish" criminals are making big money at their childishness. Plan accordingly.

 

[Medea]

Originally posted by: wpshooter
I have not been hearing anything much about computer virus attacks lately (mind you that I am not complaining).

Is it that the *9@#)$*@ that spend their valuable time writing this stuff have began to lose interest in this childishness or has the state of virus protection and other security gotten so good that these viruses are having a harder time penetrating their defenses ?

Nope, not by the number of increase in people looking for help with infected systems and are posting HJT logs. If anything, the number of infected systems is increasing.

 

[RebateMonger]

There isn't a lot of money in viruses per se. The money (and the effort by malware writers) is in stuff that makes money. This mostly includes worms, trojans, and spyware.

Actually, according to one major AV maker, we are currently in the middle of one of the worst mass-infections in two years. A download making the rounds on P2P file sharing tries to convince the user to install a "custom" media player, which is trojanized.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: wpshooter
I have not been hearing anything much about computer virus attacks lately (mind you that I am not complaining).

Is it that the *9@#)$*@ that spend their valuable time writing this stuff have began to lose interest in this childishness or has the state of virus protection and other security gotten so good that these viruses are having a harder time penetrating their defenses ?

Thanks.

Pretty much the opposite in fact ... simply put, virus writers have progressed to the point where their primary interests have nothing to do with causing noticable damage to your PC, but rather to get themselves installed & then escape all notice while broadcasting your personal/financial information to god-knows who.

As has already been stated, the situation now is far worse then it ever has been in the past.

 

[Medea]

The reason for the increase? MONEY

The link below is an article in the Washington Post that's two years old. Make a note of what he was making two years ago....

Invasion of the Computer Snatchers