Malware Calendar Wallpaper for October 2011

Here’s the latest of our malware calendar wallpapers.

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This month’s wallpaper highlights the worldwide nature of cybercrime.

The Internet has made the world a very small place. Once we connect, we’re able to access web resources anywhere in the world. This has had a profound effect on online criminality. Unlike real-world criminals, who must have sight of their victims, the Internet means that we can all become the potential targets of cybercriminals who may be located anywhere in the world. Cybercrime is, therefore, a worldwide phenomenon.

This doesn’t mean that malware development is spread evenly across the globe. There have always been development ‘hot-spots’ focused on creation of certain types of malware. For example, botnet development in Russia, or the creation of banking Trojans in Latin America.

There can also be victim ‘hot-spots’ too. This may occur where the use of computers – and the Internet – is developing rapidly, but where the level of awareness of the risks is low. Or where a target operating system has a high install-base – as with the spread of fake anti-virus programs for Mac OS in the second quarter of 2011.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the geography of malware, take a look at our report IT threat evolution: Q2 2011

And wherever you live or work, it’s important to understand the risks and take appropriate action to reduce your exposure to them.