Cybercriminals Shifting Focus From Win PCs to Non-Win Systems, Mobile Platforms: Cisco

In a major cybercrime turning point, scammers have begun shifting their focus away from Windows-based PCs to other operating systems and platforms, including smart phones, tablet computers, and mobile platforms in general, according to the Cisco 2010 Annual Security Report. The report also finds that 2010 was the first year in the history of the Internet that spam volume decreased, that cybercriminals are investing heavily in “money muling,” and that users continue to fall prey to myriad forms of trust exploitation.

In response to the last decade of cyber-exploits targeting PC operating systems, PC platform and application vendors have shored up security in their products and taken a more aggressive approach to patching vulnerabilities. As a result, scammers are finding it harder to exploit platforms that were once their bread and butter - in particular, the Windows platform - and are looking elsewhere to make money. Just as important in driving this trend is the widespread adoption of mobile devices and applications. Third-party mobile applications in particular are emerging as a serious threat vector.

The Cisco Annual Security Report also includes winners of the 2010 Cisco Cybercrime Showcase and discusses the impacts of social media, cloud computing, spam and global cybercrime activities on network security.