Adobe Reader and targeted malware attacks

If you’re still tardy in applying security patches for the ever-present Adobe Reader software, the chart below from F-Secure should jolt you into action.

The chart provides hard data on the most commonly exploited software exploited by hackers in targeted attacks, the class of malware destined for one specific organization or industry.

It’s instructive that Adobe Reader has slowly bypassed Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint over the last three years, even though those software products are just as ubiquitous in the business world.

From F-Secure:

There were 1968 files in 2008. The number was 2195 during the year 2009. That isn’t a very large increase in the overall total from 2008 to 2009 but we did see a greater percentage targeting Adobe.

And how about the first two months of 2010?

Well, so far the number is 895, which will more than double last year’s number if the current pace continues.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Get patching.

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• Adobe confirms ’sophisticated, coordinated’ breach
• Microsoft readies emergency IE patch to counter public exploits
• Following the Google attack malware trail