Spam levels fall, but targeted attacks on the rise

Global spam levels have dropped to their lowest point in three years, and now make up just 70.5 percent of all emails, according to Symantec's new Intelligence Report. The 25 page report also highlights that one in 302 e- mails was identified as a phishing attempt and one in 255.8 messages contained malware. Most alarming, however, is that nearly 5,000 malicious websites are blocked each day, an increase of 47.8 percent since October 2011.

"The aim of these targeted attacks is to establish persistent access to the targeted organization’s network, in many cases with the aim of providing remote access to confidential data. They have the potential to cause serious damage to an organization and in the long term represent a significant threat against the economic prosperity of many countries," says Paul Wood, a Symantec senior intelligence analyst.

"Targeted attacks are designed to gather intelligence, steal confidential information or trade secrets, and in the case of attacks like Stuxnet, disrupt operations or even destroy critical infrastructure."

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