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Crooks shift focus to end users

End users are now the focus of cyber criminals as hackers shift their attention from mass attacks to targeted assaults aimed at stealing end-user information such as social security and credit card data.

This has been highlighted by the latest Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, which states that online threats continued to grow as some 245 million attempted malicious code attacks were detected each month during 2008.

Customised malicious code toolkits were the order of the day as 90 per cent of all threats detected by the security firm were found to target confidential end-user information.

According to Marc Fossi, the executive editor of the report, internet users have to be more careful and wary of how they conduct themselves online.

He said: "The unfortunate reality is that innocent web surfers can visit a compromised website and unknowingly place their personal and financial information at risk."

"Cybercriminals are profiting from creating and distributing customised threats that steal confidential information, particularly bank account credentials and credit card data," added the company's Stephen Trilling.

The firm stated recently that the underground ID theft industry is thriving.

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