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Academics warn of 'significant threat' of spyware epidemic

The extensive proliferation of covert and malicious spyware is posing an increasingly significant threat for internet users, a comprehensive new study by University of Washington computer scientists warned today.

The research sampled more than 20 million internet addresses, looking for the programs that covertly enter the computers of unwitting web surfers to perform tasks ranging from spamming advertising products to gathering personal information, redirecting web browsers or even using a victim's modem to call expensive toll numbers.

The academics examined sites in a set of popular web categories, such as game sites, news sites and celebrity-oriented sites. Within these, they found that more than one in 20 executable files contained piggybacked spyware. In addition on average, one in 62 internet domains were found to perform drive-by download attacks ? a method for forcing spyware on users who simply visit a web site. Academics warn of 'significant threat' of spyware epidemic - IT Security News - SC Magazine UK

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