BitDefender announces results of quarterly ANZ Threats Report

Removable devices, instant messenger and P2P networks posed weakest link in Q3 2010

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – October 8, 2010 – Removable devices, instant messenger and peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms were the weakest links in PC security, according to BitDefender’s quarterly Australian and New Zealand threats report for the third quarter of 2010.

The notorious Autorun family of Trojans was well-represented in the infection of PCs during the last quarter. Specifically, Trojan.AutorunInf.Gen (12 percent) and Trojan.Autorun.AET (3.24 percent) were the most prevalent from the Autorun family during Q3 as they spread easily via removable devices and Windows® shared folders. These Trojans were designed to exploit the Windows® Autorun feature to execute dangerous files located on infected USB drives – highlighting the need for vigilance when using USB sticks to transfer documents and files between PCs.

Win32.Worm.Downadup a.k.a. Kido or Confiker, was the second most widely spread threat during Q3 2010. Computer users should always scan external devices, especially after having plugged them into public terminals such as photo kiosks and internet cafes. Plus, computer users should know that, since Microsoft® has patched this vulnerability in Windows® Vista® and Windows® 7, they only need to update their operating systems and antivirus solutions in order to stay safe.

Occupying third place, Trojan.Generic.4170878 is a recently discovered threat with some nasty potential. This backdoor provides cybercriminals remote access to the infected system and, unfortunately, its distribution rate has also seen a steady rise in the last few months through instant messenger and P2P networks.

The Q3 ANZ threat report also includes a few exploit-oriented threats, namely Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (2.43 percent). It has been a constant presence amongst malware distribution charts this quarter. This generic detection deals with malformed PDF files exploiting different vulnerabilities found in the Javascript engine of Adobe® PDF Reader® with the purpose of executing further malicious code on users’ computers.  

A list of the top 10 electronic threats from BitDefender’s Q3 2010: