Overview of the latest threat statistics and global danger areas

The first-hand statistics come from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), a distributed 'cloud' system that monitors and reacts immediately to computer threats. The network currently has about 50 million computers feeding the cloud with information about sources of infection and suspicious activity detected all over the world. As soon as the information is processed, it is made available to all the computers connected to the cloud. At the same time a statistical analysis is produced which is now available at Securelist.com.

The statistics cover four types of threats: local threats, i.e. detected on computers during file-scanning; web threats that are detected when web pages are loaded; network attacks and vulnerabilities. There are three different displays available for each of those categories, giving users a choice of how the information is presented. The most eye-catching is the world map, where different colours indicate the rate of infection - ranging from green for safe regions to dark red for a severe malware outbreak.

Interactive map; options

The map is interactive - by hovering the cursor over the countries you're interested in, you can see the overall level of infection. When you click on a country, detailed statistics will be displayed for the user's chosen threats, together with the top 10 threats. Settings allow viewers to see figures for one day, one week, or one month, giving a snapshot of short-term attacks and an overview of the general security of a country's cyberspace.

The second option is a pie chart, which clearly demonstrates the overall level of infection in a country. By clicking on the diagram, you can redirect to the screen displaying a map of the country and the information about the 10 most common threats, etc.

The third option is a list of the most frequently attacked countries, globally or regionally, with an indication of the infection level, or percentage of attacks.

Identifying threats in real time

Kaspersky Lab's chief security expert Alexander Gostev said: "A powerful statistical tool based on data received from millions of users globally is integral to threat detection and control. Our Kaspersky Security Network cloud security system not only enables us to block threats, but also identifies any local and global incidents in real time.

"Previously this information was only available to our in-house experts; now we are pleased to offer it to all our clients, the media and security industry colleagues."

In order to display the statistics, a browser supporting Adobe Flash is required. To see the statistics, go to: http://www.securelist.com/statistics.

Learn more at: www.kaspersky.com. For the latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, go to www.securelist.com.