F-Secure’s Threat Round up Report 2015 has revealed that “Downadup/ Conficker” malware, which came to security experts’ notice around eight years ago, has been quite prevalent in India in the past three years
According to the latest F-Secure Threat Round up Report 2015, India has emerged as the 4th highest country with Downadup malware family. This threat was most frequently detected in in Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, and Norway. The report details the trends and events in global cyber threats that hit consumers and companies last year.
According to the release, in 2015, Downadup retained its previous position as the most frequently detected type of malware. The computer worm was first discovered in 2008, and is now recognized as one of today’s most widespread malware infections. Downadup is a computer worm that infects un-patched Windows machines (including various versions of Windows Server) and then invades exposed networks attached to infected devices.
As per F-Secure, the new threat report offers an exclusive look at the trends and events that defined the digital threat landscape over the last year, chockfull of statistics, timelines, charts, and graphs that offer an expert’s perspective into the lucrative, and ever-evolving world of online crime and combat.
Downadup has infected millions of computers since its release in 2008, and caused disruptions on an industrial scale as organizations attempted to combat the worm. At one point, Microsoft offered a USD 250,000 reward for information regarding the worm’s authors. Downadup’s combination of different tactics gave it sophistication beyond other computer worms known to researchers at the time, making it one of history’s most invasive families of malware.
The report said that while many antivirus products can detect and remove the infection for individual consumers, it is still quite challenging to purge the worm once it infects large networks, such as those run by telecommunication companies or global enterprises.
And in spite of its age, Downadup is finding new ways to propagate itself. Downadup infections were discovered on wearable cameras manufactured for police officers in November 2015. Because devices like wearable cameras and many other IoT devices are unable to run traditional anti-virus software, it is entirely possible that threats such as Downadup could see a resurgence if non-secure IoT devices proliferate, the release said.
