Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report

Introduction

The Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report provides a six-month update of worldwide Internet threat activity. It includes analysis of network-based attacks, a review of known vulnerabilities, and highlights of malicious code. It also assesses trends in phishing and spam activity. The report also provides protection and mitigation recommendations for these concerns. This volume covers the six- month period from July 1 to December 31, 2007.

Symantec has established some of the most comprehensive sources of Internet threat data in the
world. The SymantecTM Global Intelligence Network encompasses worldwide security intelligence data gathered from a wide range of sources, including more than 40,000 sensors monitoring networks in over 180 countries through Symantec products and services such as Symantec DeepSightTM Threat Management System and Symantec Managed Security ServicesTM, and from other third-party sources. Symantec gathers malicious code reports from over 120 million client, server, and gateway systems
that have deployed its antivirus product, and also maintains one of the world’s most comprehensive vulnerability databases, currently consisting of over 25,000 recorded vulnerabilities (spanning more than two decades) affecting more than 55,000 technologies from over 8,000 vendors. Symantec also operates the BugTraqTM mailing list, one of the most popular forums for the disclosure and discussion
of vulnerabilities on the Internet, which has approximately 50,000 direct subscribers who contribute, receive, and discuss vulnerability research on a daily basis.

As well, the Symantec Probe Network, a system of over two million decoy accounts in more than
30 countries, attracts email from around the world to gauge global spam and phishing activity. Symantec also gathers phishing information through the Symantec Phish Report Network, an extensive antifraud community of enterprises and consumers whose members contribute and receive fraudulent Web site addresses for alerting and filtering across a broad range of solutions.

These resources give Symantec’s analysts unparalleled sources of data with which to identify, analyze, and provide informed commentary on emerging trends in attacks, malicious code activity, phishing, and spam. The Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report gives enterprises and consumers essential information to effectively secure their systems now and into the future.