Security ... think about it!
The malware toolkit behind the Zeus botnet has become one of the most successful iterations of such a package yet discovered, but that doesn't mean that competitors aren't always on the rise. According to researchers at Symantec, the newer, more expensive SpyEye botnet kit is starting to grow in popularity as attackers seek out a new platform for more easily and effectively building their zombie armies. While recognizing that the Zeus bot kit is still "the most established" crimeware kit on the underground economy, SpyEye, which was first observed in Dec. 2009 and retails for roughly $500 on many Russian underground forums, appears to be gaining a bigger audience, said Symantec expert Peter Coogan in a recent blog post. SpyEye remains nascent and is not yet widely in use, but it has all the hallmarks of an attack that could become a much bigger fish in relatively short order, he said.