Cybercriminals Shifting Focus To Non-Windows Systems

[ Thanks to An Anonymous Reader for
this link. ]

“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 Cisco
2010 Annual Security 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.

“In response to the last decade of cyber-exploits targeting PC
operating systems, PC platform and application vendors have shored
up security in their products and taken a more aggressive approach
to patching vulnerabilities. As a result, scammers are finding it
harder to exploit platforms that were once their bread and butter
— in particular, the Windows platform — and are looking
elsewhere to make money. Just as important in driving this trend is
the widespread adoption of mobile devices and applications.
Third-party mobile applications in particular are emerging as a
serious threat vector.”

Complete
Story