FOSTER CITY, CALIF. - April 3, 2007 - FaceTime
Communications, the leading provider of solutions for securing and
managing IM, P2P and Web-based greynets in the enterprise- reported
today that security incidents targeting public IM and P2P channels
rose 6 percent from the previous quarter and the complexity of
these incidents continues to increase, especially in the form of
globalized malware.
"In the last three to four months, there has been a steady
increase in Chinese malware. It has gone beyond the odd file every
now and then to finding something new almost every day," said Chris
Boyd, Director of Malware Research at FaceTime. "Symfly, the recent
Trojan that may have tampered with Web traffic rankings for several
Chinese Web sites, is evidence that clever hackers across the globe
are realizing the potential to make money from unauthorized
installations. Previously, security professionals have not had as
much interaction with Chinese infections beyond crude and basic
forms of attack - this is a new frontier."
Patterns in the research indicate two peaks in each year, in the
spring and fall, followed by lulls in the winter and summer. Based
on the previous moving averages, researchers expect an increase in
incidents for the next two months, followed by a slightly lower
incident rate beginning in the summer.
"The cyclical pattern indicates that the market has matured,
with high penetration of IM in the enterprise and a steady cadre of
attackers aiming at IM, P2P and chat," said Frank Cabri, vice
president of marketing for FaceTime Communications. "The maturity
can also be seen in the increasing complexity and globalization of
threats."
Additional key findings in the report include:
- On average, researchers recorded approximately five incidents
per day in the first quarter of 2007.
- Single-channel attacks are regaining predominance, with
multi-channel attacks accounting for a smaller proportion of the
total attacks in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the first
quarter of 2006.
- The mainstream public IM networks (AOL, MSN and Yahoo) continue
to account for the majority of all IM-based attacks. However, other
industry-specific networks (ranging from Reuters to semi-private
Jabber-based networks) account for an increasing share of the total
incidents - rising from 7 percent in 2004 to 17 percent of total
attacks in the first quarter of 2007.
- Compared to 2006, researchers have seen a shift in the vectors
used to distribute viruses. Attacks over IRC composed a
significantly larger potion of attacks than in previous periods, 76
percent for the first quarter of 2007. In 2006, just 58 percent of
attacks traveled over IRC.
FaceTime anticipates both the frequency and complexity of
threats will continue to increase, with particular emphasis on IM
networks and IRC. As more enterprises deploy IM company-wide,
hackers will increasingly target enterprise IM users. The increase
in IM use in the enterprise requires that IT departments monitor
these channels carefully and take appropriate steps to manage and
secure their adoption.
Although the Q1 2007 IMPact Report indicates a slower growth
rate in security incidents over the last few quarters, businesses
should not view this as an indication of an improving threat
landscape. The report reaffirms the need for organizations to
implement comprehensive security measures designed to protect
against these increasingly clever IM, P2P, IRC and other greynet
applications.
To find the most current and up-to-date threat information, or
to view a copy of the report, visit FaceTime Security Labs at: http://www.facetime.com/securitylabs/impactreport.aspx.
About Actiance, Inc. (Formerly FaceTime Communications, Inc.)
FaceTime Communications became Actiance, Inc on January 11, 2011 following an agreement to
transfer the FaceTime trademark to Apple.
FaceTime Communications enables the safe and productive use of Unified Communications and Web 2.0,
including instant messaging, blogs and social networking. Ranked number one by IDC for five consecutive
years, FaceTime's award-winning solutions are used by more than 1,500 customers for the security,
management and compliance of real-time communications. FaceTime supports or has strategic partnerships
with all leading IM, unified communications providers and social networks including AOL, Google, Yahoo!,
Skype, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
FaceTime is headquartered in Belmont, California. For more information visit
http://www.facetime.com or call 888-349-3223.
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