PRESS RELEASE
2.5 million new virus signatures in 2012
London, UK, 3 Jan 2012 - G Data is today announcing its cybercrime forecasts for 2012. An all-time high of over 2.5 million new virus signatures, a steep rise in mobile malware and further attacks on large organisations areexpected, according to the Internet security company.
"One of the emerging issues from 2011, which will develop over the next 12 months, is malware for mobile platforms," says Eddy Willems, Security Evangelist at G Data. "Devices with the Android operating system will be increasingly under fire as cyber-criminals are constantly finding new ways to attack itsvulnerabilities. 2011 saw a rise in social engineering, where users installed infected apps on their devices, causing many to lose money and personal data. 2012 will be the year of banking Trojans as more people migrate to mobile platforms for online banking facilities. The banking Trojan malware can be bought quite easily and created individually by the attackers, which makes it a widespread threat."
G Data is also predicting further attacks against companies and organisations. The appearance of Duqu in 2011 has shown that not only high profile industrial facilities are targeted as it was thought when Stuxnet appeared. Duqu can be used in various ways to compromise data and infiltrate a network to prepare specialised targeted attacks. The possibilities to use the stolen data and critical information are vast - blackmailing, espionage, specialised targeted attacks, sophisticated phishing attacks and so on.
The major events of this year, including the Olympics, will provide a perfect environment for cybercriminals "We expect to see a steep incline in fake online ticket shops, website defacements, attacks at the venue sites and much more," says Willems.
Read the full G Data Report "Trends 2012" here.
About G Data:
G Data Software AG is an Internet security specialist and pioneer in virus protection. Founded in Germany in 1985, the company developed the world's first antivirus program. An innovative and quickly expanding software house specialising in IT security solutions, G Data consistently outperforms other European security providers in national and international tests. G Data's product range comprises security solutions for consumers and medium to large sized enterprises. G Data's products are available in more than 90 countries worldwide.www.gdatasoftware.co.uk.
