January Threats: HTML/ScrInject.B.Gen Tops European and Global Malware Charts

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ESET, the leader in proactive protection against cyber-threats, has recorded a significant change in the
ESET Live Grid Threat Statistics over the last two months. As in December 2011, the first month of 2012 saw HTML/ScrInject.B.Gen take the lead with a 4.98% infection rate globally. INF/Autorun followed in close second with 4.41% and HTML/Iframe.B with 2.74%. Every month ESET compiles malware statistics based on its
Live Grid® - a cloud-based malware collection system utilizing data from users of ESET solutions worldwide.
HTML/ScrInject is a generic detection of HTML web pages containing script obfuscated or iframe tags that is automatically redirected to the malware download. ESET Security Evangelist Peter Stancik is attributing the December/January rise of HTML/ScrInject to a spike in Internet Christmas usage. “More shopping, more careless clicks, more hits. And certainly we've seen evidence over recent years of an interaction between increases in certain kinds of threat and the run-up to Christmas that begins in November,” adds Stancik. ESET Malware Researcher Daniel Novomesky suggests that there is likely to be a connection with increased distribution of rogue software via adult-content websites as well. “Cybercriminals have for many years proved all too ready to exploit surfers actively searching for adult content. While it's not really practical to quantify the increased risk of infection to porn surfers, the fact that social engineering malware messages so often use sex (often pornographic) as a hook is certainly significant,” says Novomesky.Global Threats According to ESET Live Grid® Statistics (January 2012)Global Threats According to ESET Live Grid® Statistics (January 2012)


European January statistics copied the global trend and the top three spots with HTML/ScrInject.B.Gen having 6.53% infection rate. Number two in Europe was INF/Autorun with 3.51%. INF/Autorun represents a variety of malware using the file autorun.inf as a way of compromising a PC. This file contains information on programs meant to run automatically when removable media (often USB flash drives and similar devices) are accessed by a Windows PC user. In third place in Europe was HTML/Iframe.B – denoting a generic detection of malicious IFRAME tags embedded in HTML pages, which redirects the browser to a specific URL location with malicious software (2.53% infection rate).Threats in Europe According to ESET Live Grid® Statistics (January 2012)Threats in Europe According to ESET Live Grid® Statistics (January 2012)


 

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Live Grid® is ESET’s cloud-based malware collection system utilizing data from users of ESET solutions worldwide.  This continual streaming of information provides ESET Malware Lab specialists with  real-time accurate snapshot of the nature and scope of global infiltrations. Careful analysis of the threats, attack vectors and patterns serves ESET to fine-tune all heuristic and signature updates   ̶ to protect its users against tomorrow’s threats.

About ESET

Founded in 1992, ESET is a global provider of security solutions for businesses and consumers. The Company pioneered, and continues to lead, the industry in proactive threat detection. ESET NOD32 Antivirus holds the world record for the number of Virus Bulletin "VB100” Awards, and has never missed a single “In-the-Wild” worm or virus since the inception of testing in 1998. ESET NOD32 Antivirus, ESET Smart Security and ESET Cybersecurity for Mac are trusted by millions of global users and are among the most recommended security solutions in the world.

The Company has global headquarters in Bratislava (Slovakia), with regional distribution centers in San Diego (U.S.), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Singapore. ESET has malware research centers in Bratislava, San Diego, Buenos Aires, Prague (Czech Republic), Krakow (Poland), Montreal (Canada), Moscow (Russia), and an extensive partner network for 180 countries.