Malware security: Switzerland No. 1 worldwide
[news release] In its fight against malware, SWITCH is demanding that the holders and operators of infected websites remove the malicious code within 24 hours. Thanks to this measure, a total of 1052 Swiss websites have already had the dangerous drive-by code removed from them in 2012.
According to the latest quarterly report published by security firm, Panda Security, 32 percent of computers worldwide were infected with malware in 2012, somewhat fewer than the year before (38 percent). Switzerland is No. 1 worldwide with the lowest infection rate. Malware takes in malicious software such as viruses, worms and Trojans. Once websites are infected with malicious code, they can install malware on the PC unnoticed by site operators and visitors. It is frequently enough to just call up a manipulated website. In order to protect Internet users from precisely this danger, SWITCH has been pursuing the aim of having infected .ch and .li websites cleaned up as rapidly as possible since the end of 2010. Hence, a total of 2828 affected websites were rendered harmless between January 2011 and July 2012 (see graph).
Security in the Internet has top priority for SWITCH. “We see on a daily basis how cyber criminals repeatedly find new loopholes allowing them to infect websites with so-called drive-by infections”, explains Dr. Serge Droz, Head of the Security Division of SWITCH. “That is why it is essential for operators to clean up infected websites quickly.”
A unique process anywhere in the world
In its fight against malware, SWITCH demands that the holders and operators of infected websites remove malicious code within 24 hours. For each suspicious website, SWITCH’s Security Division checks whether calling up the site can lead to a computer becoming infected. The source code of the website is examined to this end. If SWITCH finds malicious code, the holder and operator of the domain name will be informed. If it does not prove possible to contact the domain owner or a competent system administrator, SWITCH will block the domain name in order to protect Internet users, which means that the website in question can no longer be reached. If the holder also fails to respond to the website being blocked, SWITCH will demand that the holder identify himself/herself within 30 days by means of a certificate of place of residence, or an excerpt from the Commercial Register. If this identification is not forthcoming, the domain name will be deleted.
To download the “Quarterly Report PandaLabs, April-June 2012″ click here. [PDF]
About SWITCH
As a non-profit organisation, SWITCH guarantees Switzerland’s access to the Internet. One hundred employees work on a daily basis on further developing web technologies, facilitating the exchange of knowledge between Swiss universities and increasing the security of the Internet in Switzerland. In 2012, the Internet service provider with its head office in Zurich will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.
This SWITCH news release was sourced from:
www.switch.ch/about/news/2012/malware-080812.html
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