Phishing attacks down 10% in Q2: IID

Traditional bank phishing formed 50% of overall phishing

Phishing attacks decreased by 10% in the second quarter of 2010, compared to the same period previous year, according to a report from technology and services provider Internet Identity (IID).

Second Quarter Phishing Trends Report said that phishing attacks by Avalanche have essentially disappeared. However, Zeus malware that is capable of hijacking computers, for stealing banking, social networking and email account logins, has been on rise.

The report said that non-Avalanche phishing attacks increased by 12% year-over-year, with traditional bank phishing continuing to form about 50% of overall phishing.

IID said that US increased its share and retained the top spot for overall phish hosting volume and Canada moved from seventh to second place.

Rod Rasmussen, president and CTO of IID, said: "While significant strides have been made in fighting phishing, cyber criminals are continuing to invent new methods for their attacks. This has become apparent with the most prolific phishers we've ever tracked now concentrating almost solely on distribution of Zeus malware - with great effect.
"However, it's imperative that organisations keep their phishing guard up in the coming months, because we've seen plenty of new phishing campaigns launched against an even wider range of target organisations."

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