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Cybercriminals Shifting Focus To Non-Windows OSes

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the diversification-strategy dept.

Orome1 writes "In a major cybercrime turning point, scammers have begun shifting their focus away from Windows-based PCs to other operating systems and platforms, including smart phones, tablet computers, and mobile platforms in general, according to the a new Cisco report. The report also finds that 2010 was the first year in the history of the Internet that spam volume decreased, that cybercriminals are investing heavily in 'money muling,' and that users continue to fall prey to myriad forms of trust exploitation."

11 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. Thank God.... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Will they please target the Linux platform so we can prove once and for all to all the Windows lovers that the underlying architecture protects better than the Windows design?

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:Thank God.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's not really as true anymore, though. I'm not sure if this is the article I read on it, but http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsId=3235498

      Also, even if the underlying architecture protects better... you can't protect people from their own stupidity. They will *absolutely* find ways to infect their machines with malware even if it requires becoming root.

      Fucking users.

    2. Re:Thank God.... by Spad · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not until you get an equal number of people using Linux who are determined to see the dancing bunnies.

    3. Re:Thank God.... by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What makes you think they haven't?

      What you've described would be completely unmeasurable - because the only way you can properly measure exploits is when they are successful. There is no way to distinguish between failing to exploit Linux and not attempting an exploit it at all.

    4. Re:Thank God.... by Mike+Mentalist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Stallman? Is that you?

      --
      I put my books on Amazon, Smashwords, Demonoid, ISOHunt and Pirate Bay. Search for 'Michael Cargill'
    5. Re:Thank God.... by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes, Richard Stallman is, to his close friends, also known as Lumpy.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    6. Re:Thank God.... by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Apache holds 50% of the webserver market, often on Linux. Much more valuable targets than a generic PC.

    7. Re:Thank God.... by laughingcoyote · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And if you go look at the source code, you can find plenty of these exploits, I presume? I'll look forward to hearing about them with interest.

      The fact that bad guys can find a bug means good guys can find it too. Ultimately, that makes the whole platform more secure. Not perfectly secure, and there's no such thing, but awfully good.

      But feel free to repeat that old canard about using open source all over. In the meantime, those of us who depend on real machines with real security will use *nix, unless given absolutely no choice.

      --
      To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.
  2. Re:Android app store now rejecting apps by icebraining · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't see any problem with the Android App Store restrictions because you can choose to install packages from other sources if you choose. So, if you like feeling safe, don't mess with it. If you don't like the restriction, enable out of store installations.

    Motorola's eFuse, on the other hand, seem nothing more than a way for them to control your phone; I don't see how it protects you.

    --
    Dilbert RSS feed
  3. Re:That's part of the protection. by gazbo · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Best part of a decade ago there was a Windows email virus (forget which one, sorry) that did rather well for itself. In order to avoid detection, it spread by email in a password protected zip file. In order to become infected, the user had to open the zip by typing in the randomly generated password given in the email, extract the executable within, then run it.

    It was then that I realised there will never be a technical solution that makes more than a dent in malware infections.

  4. Macs are still no mans land by ub3r+n3u7r4l1st · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Common myth still spreading around that macs do not have viruses. Majority of its users still do not have anti-virus software of any kind.

    The pioneer who goes in first, strikes the gold.

    --
    New Economic Perspectives