Phishing reaches record numbers

The number of brands exploited by online con artists grew to a record 154 in July, CNET reports.

A study from the Anti-Phishing Working Group showed that the number of brands under attack from phishing was up 20 percent from June and 12 percent from the previous record in May. The APWG findings indicate that scammers are no longer content to exploit only the best-known brands. Only 71 brands were targeted a year ago.

The number of reported phishing sites also rose steeply to 14,191, 18% higher than the previous peak. And even as phishers widen their nets, they are getting ever more focused on targeting financial services, which grew to 93.5% of all targets in July.

Attacks are getting more sophisticated, the APWG found, noting that a malicious site is now capable of placing a Trojan horse onto a system without user interaction. The Trojan involved, Web Attacker, is a Russian do-it-yourself toolkit sold for anywhere from $20 to $300.