Each month, ESET publishes the ranking of the most widespread computer threats, as reported by the ESET ThreatSense.Net® analytical system. In September, this statistical system evaluated a group of malware tagged as INF/Autorun as the top threat, reaching a global infection share of 6.62%. The second highest ranking goes to Win32/Conficker with a share of 4.52% of all detections intercepted on computers of ESET security solutions users. The third position in September is occupied by Win32/PSW.OnLineGames (2.86%).
INF/Conficker (1.64%), taking the fourth position, confirms the prevalence of threats infecting computers via removable media by exploiting the Windows operating system autorun.inf function.
Global threats according to ESET ThreatSense.Net® (September 2010)
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA (EMEA)
As for the region of Europe, Middle East and Africa, the threat landscape differs, compared to the global picture, which is under the influence of high population countries, such as China or Argentina.
INF/Autorun ranks among the most frequently detected threats in Austria (3.47%), Greece (5.73%), Russia (6.04%), Poland (6.89%), Ukraine (7.25%), and in South Africa (11.32%).
The EMEA threat ranking also features several newcomers, such as JS/Redirector. This threat is designed to redirect website visitors to malware-laden URLs by means of infecting legitimate websites and inserting malicious links to infected software. JS/Redirector is topping the threat stats in the United Kingdom (2.61%), as well as occupying the second position in the Czech Republic (4.68%), Denmark (1.85%), Finland (1.86%), Ireland (3.32%), the Netherlands (2.13%), and in Slovakia (3.85%). The same threat has placed third in Sweden with a share of 1.60% of the total of all detected malware.
Distributed in fairly large volumes in the EMEA region is also HTML/ScrInject.B, categorized by ESET as generic detection of HTML-coded websites containing a hidden script or IFRAME tag, automatically redirecting the visitors to the malware download. This threat dominates the threat landscape in Slovakia (3.98%), Estonia (2.35%), and in Denmark (3.40%); in the Czech Republic, HTML/ScrInject has claimed third position.
Java/TrojanDownloader.OpenStream is yet another type of malware massively used by its authors to infiltrate the operating system without the user’s knowledge. This dangerous infiltration has become No.1 in Norway, gaining an infection share of 2.73%, and ranked among top three threats in Germany, scoring a share of 4.46% of the total; in Portugal, it reached 3.77% of all infiltrations. Win32/Conficker, a past mainstay among threats in the EMEA region, remains the most frequently-occurring threat in Romania (7.27%).
About ESET
Founded in 1992, ESET is a global provider of security solutions for the home and business segment. The industry leader in proactive malware detection, ESET's NOD32 antivirus holds the world record for the number of Virus Bulletin "VB100 Awards," never to have missed a single “In-the-Wild” worm or virus since the inception of testing in 1998. ESET has headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia and offices in San Diego, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Prague, Czech Republic, and an extensive partner network in 180 countries. In 2008, ESET has opened a new research center in Krakow, Poland. ESET was named by Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the region of Europe, Middle East and Africa.
ThreatSense.Net® is ESET’s in-the-cloud malware collection system utilizing data from users of ESET solutions worldwide. This continual streaming of information provides ESET Virus Lab specialists with a 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.