2012 the year of malware? Bitdefender has foreseen it

New malware and cyber fraud attacks in 2012 will rapidly grow due the popularity and questionable security of social networks, according to a recent report by Bucharest-based security vendor, Bitdefender.

According to the document, titled E-Threats Landscape Report, Bitdefender expects that malware will grow to encompass 90,000,000 samples in 2011, an increase of almost 17 million, or 23 per cent, compared to 2012.

The report also takes a look at the evolving malware landscape and how social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter will contribute to the spread of malicious software. “The story of 2012 in terms of malware will be one of explosive growth, mostly because of the spread and growing allure of social networks,” Bitdefender e-threats analyst, Bogdan Botezatu, said.

Android malware is expected to undergo exponential growth in 2012, though Botezatu feels that it will start from “a much lower base” of malware samples.

The other major prediction made in the report was that new malware and cyber fraud will get a new lease of life from growing social networks, where security issues and misplaced trust among users is expected to continue to be a problem.

Additionally, the lingering security issues of the Android platform will mean that the number of threats to smartphones and tablets will also experience a boost in 2012. To access the full report, go to: http://www.bitdefender.com.au/news/#E-Threats Reports.

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