PayPal users ought to be particularly vigilant about phishing scammers. A new report released by the CYREN GlobalView Security Lab revealed a 73 percent increase in the number of phishing attacks aimed at PayPal users.
During a two-week sampling taken during the first quarter of this year, study researchers saw the number of PayPal related phishing URLs increase from around 750 a day during the last quarter of 2013 to more than 1,300 a day in Q1 2014. Apple, Poste Italiane, Barclays Bank, Battle.net and Sparkass were also top brands frequently used as bait by phishermen.
The study additionally found that Android malware is becoming both more complex in and includes encrypted peer to peer functionality that allows scammers to track user activity and steal data. On the upside, Spam levels continued their downward trend, averaging 54 billion emails per day. The downward pressure is created by lower income per message, a reduction in affiliate revenue from spam, and the relative profitability of other attack vectors. Diet spammers have also figure out how to us press releases to gain “legitimate” news featured on the Wall Street Journal and Reuters websites.
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