APWG Reports: Crimeware Crimewave Arrived for Holidays; Massive Increase in Crimeware Distribution Infrastructure by Phishers.

LOS ALTOS, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reported today that crimeware-distributing sites nearly doubled in number in the month of December, hurtling from 1044 in November to 1912, adding a massive reserve to the eCrime infrastructure in that month.

December, it appears, provided conditions for a near perfect crimeware storm. Phishers had already built out the eCrime infrastructure for the holidays with the number of all phishing sites jumping from 4630 to 7197. Meanwhile, a new image-rendering vulnerability related to Windows Meta Files was being exploited by phishers to spread crimeware code that would install keyloggers and IRC-based administration tools on vulnerable Windows PCs.

APWG Chairman David Jevans said, "The speed, precision and massive scale by which the phishers were able to identify and exploit this vulnerability for criminal enterprise highlights the fact that the eCrime industry has reached a level of efficiency that has the potential to threaten the larger online economy."

APWG Secretary General Peter Cassidy added, "It's apparent while we reveled in holiday celebrations, we silently passed a grim new milestone."

The December APWG report is informed by research contributed from analysts at Websense Security Labs, MarkMonitor and Panda Software. The full text of the report is available at http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/apwg_report_DEC2005_FINAL.pdf

The Anti-Phishing Working Group

The APWG is the global counter-phishing organization of stakeholders confronting the phishing threat, including national law enforcement agencies, global banks and financial institutions, national ISPs, ISVs, hardware vendors and e-commerce companies. The group, formed in 2003, has more than 2200 members worldwide from 1500 companies, government regulatory ministries and law enforcement agencies.