Press Release
Research Reveals an Increasingly Complex and Global Security Landscape
FaceTime Quarterly IMPact Report indicates 6 percent increase in quarterly
security incidents targeting IM and P2P channels
FOSTER CITY, CALIF. - April 3, 2007 - FaceTime Communications, the
leading provider of solutions for securing and managing IM, P2P and Web-based
greynets in the enterprise— reported today that security incidents targeting
public IM and P2P channels rose 6 percent from the previous quarter and the
complexity of these incidents continues to increase, especially in the form of
globalized malware.
"In the last three to four months, there has been a steady increase in Chinese
malware. It has gone beyond the odd file every now and then to finding
something new almost every day," said Chris Boyd, Director of Malware Research
at FaceTime. "Symfly, the recent Trojan that may have tampered with Web traffic
rankings for several Chinese Web sites, is evidence that clever hackers across
the globe are realizing the potential to make money from unauthorized
installations. Previously, security professionals have not had as much
interaction with Chinese infections beyond crude and basic forms of attack -
this is a new frontier."
Patterns in the research indicate two peaks in each year, in the spring and
fall, followed by lulls in the winter and summer. Based on the previous moving
averages, researchers expect an increase in incidents for the next two months,
followed by a slightly lower incident rate beginning in the summer.
"The cyclical pattern indicates that the market has matured, with high
penetration of IM in the enterprise and a steady cadre of attackers aiming at
IM, P2P and chat," said Frank Cabri, vice president of marketing for FaceTime
Communications. "The maturity can also be seen in the increasing complexity and
globalization of threats."
Additional key findings in the report include:
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On average, researchers recorded approximately five incidents per day in the
first quarter of 2007.
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Single-channel attacks are regaining predominance, with multi-channel attacks
accounting for a smaller proportion of the total attacks in the first quarter
of 2007 compared to the first quarter of 2006.
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The mainstream public IM networks (AOL, MSN and Yahoo) continue to account for
the majority of all IM-based attacks. However, other industry-specific networks
(ranging from Reuters to semi-private Jabber-based networks) account for an
increasing share of the total incidents - rising from 7 percent in 2004 to 17
percent of total attacks in the first quarter of 2007.
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Compared to 2006, researchers have seen a shift in the vectors used to
distribute viruses. Attacks over IRC composed a significantly larger potion of
attacks than in previous periods, 76 percent for the first quarter of 2007. In
2006, just 58 percent of attacks traveled over IRC.
FaceTime anticipates both the frequency and complexity of threats will continue
to increase, with particular emphasis on IM networks and IRC. As more
enterprises deploy IM company-wide, hackers will increasingly target enterprise
IM users. The increase in IM use in the enterprise requires that IT departments
monitor these channels carefully and take appropriate steps to manage and
secure their adoption.
Although the Q1 2007 IMPact Report indicates a slower growth rate in security
incidents over the last few quarters, businesses should not view this as an
indication of an improving threat landscape. The report reaffirms the need for
organizations to implement comprehensive security measures designed to protect
against these increasingly clever IM, P2P, IRC and other greynet applications.
To find the most current and up-to-date threat information, or to view a copy
of the report, visit FaceTime Security Labs at:
http://www.facetime.com/securitylabs/impactreport.aspx.
About FaceTime Communications
FaceTime enables the safe and productive use of
greynets like instant messaging, Skype, web conferencing and P2P file sharing.
Ranked number one in market share among instant messaging management vendors
for the third consecutive year, FaceTime's award-winning solutions are used by
more than 800 customers including nine of the ten largest U.S. banks. FaceTime
Security Labs delivers the industry's first IMPact Index, which assesses
"point-in-time" risks posed by viruses, worms and other malware propagating
through greynet applications. FaceTime supports or has strategic partnerships
with all leading public and private IM network providers, including AOL,
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Skype, IBM and Jabber.
FaceTime is headquartered in Foster City, California. For more information visit http://www.facetime.com or call 888-349-FACE.
PR Contact:
Joshua Barnes
A&R Edelman
650-762-2865
joshua.barnes@ar-edelman.com
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