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Symantec gathers malicious code reports from over 120 million client, server, and gateway systems that have deployed its antivirus product, and also maintains one of the world's most comprehensive vulnerability databases, currently consisting of over 25,000 recorded vulnerabilities (spanning more than two decades) affecting more than 55,000 technologies from over 8,000 vendors. On November 4, 2008, United States citizens will go to the polls to elect a new president, as well as representatives for the Senate, the House of Representatives and multiple state offices. In the run-up to the elections, Symantec has observed a number of threats designed to take advantage of the widespread coverage the election has generated. As election day draws near, Symantec expects to see an increase in phishing attempts, scams and malicious code that exploit election themes and target individual candidates or their campaigns.
A previous Symantec Internet Security Threat Report that examined seasonal variations in phishing showed that phishing attacks often increase around notable events, such as international sporting events and the deadline for taxes. Throughout 2007 and into 2008, the candidates in the forthcoming elections have increased their use of (and reliance on) the Internet as part of their campaigns through Web sites, e-mail campaigns, and viral and social marketing. Along with candidates increasingly relying on the Web to bolster their campaigns, they are also using these sites to raise campaign funds. Symantec speculates that phishers will increasingly target these campaigns and sites as the election approaches. Symantec also expects increased efforts on the part of attackers to compromise political Web sites in an attempt to alter messaging and distribute false or misleading information about a candidate or his or her policies.
Though past attacks on candidate Web sites have been attributed to denial-of-service attacks, the increase in site-specific vulnerabilities noted in the current Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report could mean a focused effort to compromise candidates' Web sites. In one possible scenario, these sites might be made to host malicious code, which in turn could compromise users' computers and result in significant negative media coverage.
In connection with attempts to compromise political Web sites, Symantec expects to see an increase in the amount of malicious code that uses election themes. As Trojans such as Peacomm (which used provocative news headlines in subject lines to entice users to open e-mail and follow links or attachments that would then load Trojan software into the computer) have shown, major news events have been used to aid in the propagation of various types of malicious code. For most Trojans, successful propagation relies on social engineering and the curiosity of end users. With the increased attention surrounding the 2008 elections, it is likely that more Trojans will attempt to use social engineering themes pulled from campaigns and media headlines to entice users. Other types of malicious code or unwanted software are also likely to target candidates and their Web sites, including viruses, adware, and spyware, as attackers attempt to capitalize on the increased attention of users on electoral issues during the campaign season.
Another area of concern during the upcoming election is the opportunity presented to phishers to mimic campaign Web sites and solicit fraudulent donations. As noted previously, political candidates have embraced the Web as a medium for distributing campaign information, and in the case of several candidates, have used their Web sites to solicit donations. In addition to the usual phishing schemes, there is additional concern around the ability for attackers to host phishing Web sites that mimic one candidate but actually divert funds to another candidate. Phishing continues to represent one of the fastest growing fraud areas online today. As a result, Symantec expects to see an increasing focus on election-themed phishing activities and their resultant fraud up to the U.S. elections in November.
This was excerpted from Symantec's semiannual assessment of global Internet security. To read the entire report, click here.
The section on campaigns is contained in a chapter looking at future potential threats. To read that section,click here and then click on the "Future Watch" title in the table of contents.
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