2005 signaled the decline of computer viruses

Hackers this year seem to be indifferent to viruses, but other dangerous programs are rampant and make users' PC systems more vulnerable than ever.

Cybercrime now enhances the construction of spyware, in order to collect personal information for sale or self-exploitation later. Previously, virus writers only wanted to be famous, they attacked to prove their technical power. The bigger the exploit, the more hacker is rated as "good and impressive".

Today, especially in 2005, no one left the effort only for fame. They spread malicious programs to make money and use two methods to steal popular personal information is to install software to detect keyboard characters (key loggers) or to form computer networks controlled by Trojans.

This trend was recorded in January with Downloader.GK Trojan ranked first in the ranking of security vendor Panda. The year 2005 suffered a number of massive outbreaks and Sober's massive invasion at the beginning and end of the year.

The form of attack also began to change. Although most still rely on taking advantage of the vigilance to convince victims to open attachments, some hackers have turned to a method of directing users to websites that contain unproductive browser exploits patch.

Not only the Windows operating system, Internet Explorer has also been bombed too many times a year that Danish security firm Secunia offered to remove it and use another browser. But Firefox's open source product is constantly in error, and Safari and Opera are not "immune." Not only browsers, compatible applications also unknowingly become a handler to help hackers "bypass" to avoid firewalls.

With the increase in attacks, patches are more concerned than ever but they launch very "slowly". A researcher who discovered a flaw in Oracle's software had to wait two years for an upgrade to appear in public. Even if the company releases 88 patches, people still wonder about the promise of security.

Meanwhile, every patch of Microsoft seems to become the "guideline" of hackers to compose new exploit codes. Hackers need only 3 days after the August news release to distribute Zotob and 24 hours to do the same in October.

In 2005, there was also a conflict between a security expert and a manufacturer when an employee of the ISS Group (USA) was fired because of a flaw in Cisco products. Cisco also tries to close websites that contain information about this error.

In particular, Microsoft began to change hostility toward hackers when it invited them to look at Internet Explorer 7 code.