Auto-Run malware significantly worse threat than Conflicker: McAfee

Bengaluru: Spam volumes have increased 141 percent since March, 2009 continuing the longest streak of increasing spam volumes ever, according to McAfee's Q2 Threats Report, released recently. The report also highlights the dramatic expansion of botnets and the threat from auto-run malware.

More than 14 million computers have been enslaved by cybercriminal botnets, a 16 percent increase over last quarter's rise. McAfee researchers also found that, over the course of 30 days, Auto-Run malware had infected more than 27 million files.

Auto-Run malware, which exploits Windows' Auto-Run capabilities, does not require any user clicks to activate, and is most often spread through portable USB and storage devices. The rate of detection surpasses even that of the infamous Conficker worm by 400 percent, making Auto-Run the number one piece of malware detected around the world.

“The jump in bot and spam activity we saw in the last three months is alarming, and the threat from Auto-Run malware continues to grow,” said Mike Gallagher, Senior VP and CTO, McAfee. “The expansion of these infections is a grave reminder of the potential harm that can be caused by unprotected computers in homes and businesses,” he added.