The latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (Volume 11) has been released and contains some interesting information that Microsoft has collected from the execution of its Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) and Internet Explorer SmartScreen® data. Several of the results confirm what those of us in the network security monitoring community already know: Java is the most often exploited application (page xvii), Adobe Acrobat exploits account for most malicious documents (page xviii), and Adware is the most common type of malware identified (page xx). Microsoft also stated that over a third of malware detected could spread via the AutoRun feature on removable media or on network shares. Updates exist that help make the AutoRun feature in XP and Vista more like the one in Windows 7, which is to say more secure. Deploy those updates.Read more
