Cyveillance Reports Leading Identity Theft Threats Increase Between 50 to 200 Percent in First Two Months of 2007

Business Wire, March 27, 2007

Cyveillance Online Financial Fraud and Identity Theft 2007 Report Highlights Latest Threats and Most Widely Targeted Industries

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Cyveillance, the leading provider of online risk monitoring and management solutions, today announced its latest report, "Online Financial Fraud and Identity Theft," which highlights the growth of Internet attacks and identifies the industries most at risk. Using intelligence collected through its advanced Internet monitoring technology, Cyveillance's security experts have identified that the two leading online identity theft risks, phishing and malware, increased significantly in the first two months of 2007, with the number of brands being phished growing by 50 percent and malware attacks growing by 200 percent. As part of its research, the company has also specifically identified more than 1 million suspected stolen social security numbers on the Internet, in just the last two months.

Phishing attacks were one of the biggest increases that Cyveillance monitored during the past 12 months with virtually every large financial institution and a growing number of small to medium-sized financial institutions being the most often targeted. The number of companies being phished has been consistently growing by more than 200 new brands each quarter, with a recent increase of 50% from January to February, up from 800 to 1,200 unique brands phished. The largest increases in Phishing attacks have targeted organizations in the following industries:

1. Credit Unions - 584 percent increase

2. Associations - 329 percent increase

3. Banks - 325 percent increase

4. Insurance - 300 percent increase

5. Payment Services - 285 percent increase

Cyveillance has also seen the sophistication of malware contributing to the increase in online risks with its evolution from a simple nuisance to more malicious threats focused on financial gain. This has contributed to an increase of more than 200% growth of malware threats during January and February 2007, with well over 1 million unique Web pages containing some type of malware. Cyveillance trending data shows that in December 2006, the average number of URLs detected with malware averaged less than 20,000 on a daily basis. By February 2007 this average had grown to approximately 60,000 sites daily, with a single day mid-month spike of close to 140,000. This data points to significant long term growth of this risk, as more individuals and organizations view malware as a revenue-generating fraud technique.

"As our research shows, the breadth and depth of online risk are on the rise, with increasingly elaborate attack schemes and tactics," said Panos Anastassiadis, CEO of Cyveillance. "As a leader in Internet monitoring, we are dedicated to providing online risk monitoring and management solutions that deliver early warning of threats to an organization's information, infrastructure and individuals. By utilizing our comprehensive data sets, chief security officers can proactively protect their company's reputation, revenues and customer trust."

For more information about Cyveillance's research and findings, the complete Online Financial Fraud and Identity Theft report is available for download at: www.cyveillance.com/IDTheftreport

About Cyveillance

Cyveillance, the leader in online risk monitoring and management solutions, provides an intelligence-based approach to security. Through comprehensive Internet monitoring, Cyveillance proactively identifies and eliminates threats to information, infrastructure and individuals. By continuously pinpointing online risks such as malware, phishing attacks, information leaks, counterfeit product distribution and other forms of Internet fraud, Cyveillance enables enterprises and OEM data partners to protect their reputation, revenues, and customer trust. Cyveillance serves over 250 leading companies, including over half of the Fortune 50 and 8 of the top 10 technology providers. For more information, visit www.cyveillance.com