Phishers and Web Attacks: It's Not Getting Better

In two separate reports, one on web attacks and another on phishing, it looks like the attackers aren't letting up. A report recently published by Cenzic, an application security outfit, said 80 percent of all web attacks were due to known vulnerabilities in web applications in the second half of 2008.

The other report, covering the same period in 2008, by the Anti-Phishing Working Group, a phishing watchdog group, cited increases of 225% in the number of phishing sites peddling fake anti-malware and an astounding 827% jump in password stealing sites. Phishers are automating code attacks, increasing their number and magnitude.

The targets? The same as always: financial institutions with well-known and well-established brands.