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Woburn, MA – April 9, 2014 -Kaspersky Lab today released additional results from the study, Financial Cyber Threats in 2013, which found the number of cyber attacks involving malware designed to steal financial data was 28.4 million – a 27.6 percent increase from 2012. Also, the number of victims attacked by financial-targeting malware rose by 18.6 percent from last year, reaching 3.8 million.

Programs designed to steal e-money and financial data are among the most complicated types of malicious software out there today. For the purposes of this study, the 30 most prevalent examples of malware used in financial attacks were examined. The category of banking malware, including the notorious Zbot, Carberp, and SpyEye programs, accounted for two-thirds (19 million) of all financial attacks involving malware. The proportion of keyloggers – malicious programs that intercept keystrokes – surprisingly saw a gradual decline as cybercriminals switch from these highly specialized programs to Trojans with a wide range of functions.

In addition, there was also a lot of activity in the mobile malware segment, with the number of malicious Android applications designed to steal financial data growing consistently throughout 2013. The beginning of the year started with only 67 samples in January and grew to 1,321 in December.

To counter financial cyber threats, Kaspersky Lab solutions for home users and small businesses come with Safe Money technology that protects user data during online banking and e-payment sessions.

Companies that provide financial online services to their clients may also benefit from Kaspersky Lab’s comprehensive Kaspersky Fraud Prevention platform. It was developed to deliver rigorous, multi-layered security for online transactions: a server solution to check customer transactions as well as applications to protect users’ computers and mobile devices.

The ‘Financial Cyber Threats in 2013’ report used data obtained voluntarily from Kaspersky Security Network participants. This network is a globally distributed cloud-based infrastructure designed to quickly process depersonalized data about threats which users of Kaspersky Lab’s products encounter.

Quote
Sergey Lozhkin, Senior Security Researcher
Kaspersky Lab
"Last year saw a significant increase in the proportion of financial cyber threats, with malware designed to steal money playing a key role. The popularity of banking Trojans and other programs targeting financial data is due to the fact cybercriminals can use them to make money quickly. The current situation has forced users and financial institutions to take active measures against online threats, while security software vendors have to develop new protection solutions.”

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users*. Throughout its more than 16-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab, with its holding company registered in the United Kingdom, currently operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more atwww.kaspersky.com.

* The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2011. The rating was published in the IDC report "Worldwide Endpoint Security 2012–2016 Forecast and 2011 Vendor Shares (IDC #235930, July 2012). The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2011.

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Media Contact
Sarah Bergeron
781.503.2615
sarah.bergeron@kaspersky.com

Kaspersky Lab Reports: Finance-Related Malware Attacks Rose to 28 Million in 2013

Kaspersky Lab Reports: Finance-Related Malware Attacks Rose to 28 Million in 2013
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