Survey of the malware wars
Criminal activity through malware is a big business these days and an interesting (if depressing) review of the security scene is at Computerworld. Here’s an excerpt:
In contrast, today’s malware causes less overt havoc but far more deliberate harm. Most 21st-century crackers aren’t making malware to show off their skills or wreck systems for the sheer malicious fun of itall. They’re making malware that hides in your system so they can use your personal information and PC resources to make money. Welcome to the era of capitalist hacking.
In response, the security vendors come up with anti-malware programs, and we’re locked into a seemingly endless battle between crackers and the defenders for the safety of our networks, our computers and our personal information. At the moment, it appears the bad guys are winning. There’s more malware than ever before.