Expired security software are open invitation for Malware
Microsoft released research this week to prove the point in the most recent version of its Security Intelligence Report. They also highlighted the data in a blog entry from the MMPC (Microsoft Malware Protection Center).
The data in the report is collected from telemetry from the Malicious Software Removal Tool which runs each month with Windows Update. The MSRT collects the information from the Action Center API.
Microsoft has defined the categories for the systems that are vulnerable for malware attacks. First category is that if users used anti-malware software and their trial period has been ended. Then their system is open for malware attack. The second category is if anti-malware in your system is disabled.
The third category is if the system has no anti-malware software installed.And the fourth category is the snoozed, that means the update is temperory. It can happen only if the user is not monitoring and it updated automatically.
See the chart below, which is based on data from the second half of 2013 and the first half of 2014. The data is all for Windows 8 and 8.1 and so shows an interesting effect: The percentage of systems with expired anti-malware grows rapidly in the early months of 2013. Note that Windows 8 became generally available in October 2012, so one would expect the expirations to begin one month or later. The climb rapidly and then peaks at 10.1 percent of all systems in August 2013. The number has dropped some, but leveled off just below 10 percent.
There are some action taken in china related to Malware attacks when the Beijing police arrested three people who they suspected developed the "WireLurker" Malware that has infected the thousands of Apple users.
The suspects developed WireLurker for illegal profit and then use an application store name Maiyadi for spreading the malware.
Qihoo 360 Technology traced the malware back to Maiyadi, a Chinese site devoted to Apple news that also offers downloads of iOS apps and Mac software.
In Ohio an financial analyst has been charge for installing the malware in his former company. Company named Eaton Corp. terminated his employment and on the same day he installed malware in the company's system.
Malware spreads when users download an infected application and the connect external devices on that systems.
News from ZDNET
The data in the report is collected from telemetry from the Malicious Software Removal Tool which runs each month with Windows Update. The MSRT collects the information from the Action Center API.
Microsoft has defined the categories for the systems that are vulnerable for malware attacks. First category is that if users used anti-malware software and their trial period has been ended. Then their system is open for malware attack. The second category is if anti-malware in your system is disabled.
The third category is if the system has no anti-malware software installed.And the fourth category is the snoozed, that means the update is temperory. It can happen only if the user is not monitoring and it updated automatically.
See the chart below, which is based on data from the second half of 2013 and the first half of 2014. The data is all for Windows 8 and 8.1 and so shows an interesting effect: The percentage of systems with expired anti-malware grows rapidly in the early months of 2013. Note that Windows 8 became generally available in October 2012, so one would expect the expirations to begin one month or later. The climb rapidly and then peaks at 10.1 percent of all systems in August 2013. The number has dropped some, but leveled off just below 10 percent.
There are some action taken in china related to Malware attacks when the Beijing police arrested three people who they suspected developed the "WireLurker" Malware that has infected the thousands of Apple users.
The suspects developed WireLurker for illegal profit and then use an application store name Maiyadi for spreading the malware.
Qihoo 360 Technology traced the malware back to Maiyadi, a Chinese site devoted to Apple news that also offers downloads of iOS apps and Mac software.
In Ohio an financial analyst has been charge for installing the malware in his former company. Company named Eaton Corp. terminated his employment and on the same day he installed malware in the company's system.
Malware spreads when users download an infected application and the connect external devices on that systems.
News from ZDNET
