Only about 40% of anti-virus software can detect the
malware being distributed by botnets, says a security
researcher.
In a blog, FireEye chief scientist Stuart Staniford says the
poor protection is a reason why botnets are so successful in
spreading their malware.
Botnet controllers quickly change the binaries of their malware,
and the anti-virus software cannot keep up with the new variants of
malware that are being regularly unleashed across the internet,
says Staniford.
Staniford tested a sample of about 220 malware binaries taken
from FireEye security appliances located in customer premises, and
tested them against the independent VirusTotal test website.
This website runs around 40 anti-virus programs for comparison
purposes. His test showed that the majority of programs could not
detect the malware uploaded.
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