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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - April 29, 2012) - Symantec Corp.(NASDAQ: SYMC - News) today announced the findings of its Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17, which shows that while the number of vulnerabilities decreased by 20 percent, the number of malicious attacks continued to skyrocket by 81 percent.In addition, the report highlights that advanced targeted attacks are spreading to organizations of all sizes and variety of personnel, data breaches are increasing, and that attackers are focusing on mobile threats.

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The 2011 Internet Security Threat Report - There Is No Panacea to Protect Against All Attacks Keep Your SMB Safe from Internet-Based Threats

Malicious Attacks Continue to Grow Rapidly

Symantec blocked more than 5.5 billion malicious attacks in 2011, an increase of 81 percent over the previous year.In addition, the number of unique malware variants increased to 403 million and the number of Web attacks blocked per day increased by 36 percent.

At the same time, spam levels fell considerably and new vulnerabilities discovered decreased by 20 percent.These statistics, compared to the continued growth in malware, paint an interesting picture.Attackers have embraced easy to use attack toolkits to efficiently leverage existing vulnerabilities.Moving beyond spam, cyber criminals are then turning to social networks to launch their attacks.The very nature of these networks makes users incorrectly assume they are not at risk and attackers are using these sites to target new victims.Due to social engineering techniques and the viral nature of social networks, it's much easier for threats to spread from one person to the next.

Advanced Targeted Attacks Spread to Organizations of All Sizes

Targeted attacks are growing, with the number of daily targeted attacks increasing from 77 per day to 82 per day by the end of 2011.Targeted attacks use social engineering and customized malware to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.These advanced attacks have traditionally focused on public sector and government; however, in 2011, targeted attacks diversified.

Targeted attacks are no longer limited to large organizations.More than 50 percent of such attacks target organizations with fewer than 2,500 employees, and almost 18 percent target companies with fewer than 250 employees.These organizations may be targeted because they are in the supply chain or partner ecosystem of a larger company and because they are less well-defended.Furthermore, 58 percent of attacks target non-execs, employees in roles such as human resources, public relations, and sales.Individuals in these jobs may not have direct access to information, but they can serve as a direct link into the company.They are also easy for attackers to identify online and are used to getting proactive inquiries and attachments from unknown sources.

Rise of Data Breaches, Lost Devices Concern for the Future

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Annual Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Reveals 81 Percent Increase in Malicious Attacks