October 2010
BitDefender report echoes security industry voice on PDFs
Quarterly UK study ranks PDF malware as the number one leading e-threat as professionals vote in favour of ban.
BitDefender’s latest quarterly e-threat report has ranked PDF malware Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen as the number one malicious threat for the period July-September 2010 in the UK. This echoes a recent straw poll conducted with security experts at the Virus Bulletin 2010 conference in Vancouver, which found 97% voted overwhelmingly to abolish the PDF standard and to replace it with a safer format with better software security.
BitDefender®, an award winning provider of innovative internet security solutions, ranked Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen as the top ranking e-threat in the quarterly malware chart, with 6.11% of the total infections in the UK. It is a malformed PDF file that exploits different vulnerabilities of the Javascript engine of Adobe® PDF Reader® with the purpose of executing additional malicious code on users’ computers. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen is a constant presence in the malware distribution chart.
“Our timely quarterly study chimes with security industry experts’ opinion that PDF is far from the perceived safe option and continues to be a potent threat to PC security,” commented Nick Billington, Managing Director of BitDefender UK and Ireland. “While most people understand to not open attachments or executable files in spam messages, fewer recognise and understand that PDFs can contain malicious code that exploits vulnerabilities in Adobe® PDF Reader® leaving the PC infected with a virus.”
USB sticks are also a major point of concern in the latest BitDefender e-threat study as they are largely responsible for propagating Trojan.AutorunInf.Gen and Win32.Worm.Downadup.Gen when people transfer data from one PC to another via an infected external drive. Additionally, Gen:Variant.Hiloti.1 is a newcomer arriving in third place, which is designed to mask high profile malware such as Zeus rendering them undetectable to analysts.
Catalin Cosoi, Head of BitDefender Online Threats Lab, explains the top five e-threats of Q3 2010 and offers top tips on how to stay safe on BitDefenderWorld on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RagtPmYjMnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TD3cV-IuvQ
About Bitdefender®
Bitdefender is the creator of one of the world's fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified internet security software.Since 2001, the company has been an industry pioneer, introducing and developing award-winning protection. Today, Bitdefender technology secures the digital experience of around 400 million home and corporate users across the globe.
Recently, the company has won a range of key independent recommendations in the US, UK and across Europe, including ConsumerSearch, Which?, Stiftung Warentest and Taenk. Bitdefender antivirus technology has also finished top in leading industry tests from both AV Test and AV-Comparatives. More information about Bitdefender's antivirus products is available from the company's security solutions press room. Additionally, Bitdefender publishes Malware City providing the latest updates on security threats and helping users stay informed in the everyday battle against malware.