(11ALIVE) - There's sobering news for users of the Internet Wednesday, according to a threats report by McAfee, Inc.
Spam volumes have increased 141 percent since March, continuing the longest streak of increasing spam volumes ever, the report says.
McAfee's Q2 Threats Report also indicates that more than 14 million computers have been attacked by cybercriminal botnets. That's a 16 percent increase over last quarter's rise.
According to a news release issued by McAfee, the company's researchers also noted than more than 27 million computer files have been infected with so-called Auto-Run malware. That malware takes advantage of Microsoft Windows' Auto-Run capabilities, that do not require user interaction to activate. It is commonly spread through portable USB storage devices.
The rate of detection of auto-run malware exceeds even that of the widely publicized Conficker worm by 400 percent, McAfee said.
"The jump in bot and spam activity we saw in the last three months is alarming, and the threat from auto-run malware continues to grow," Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of McAfee Avert Labs Mike Gallagher said in the news release. "The expansion of these infections is a grave reminder of the potential harm that can be caused by unprotected computers in homes and businesses."
McAfee's report also takes note of increased spam activity on popular social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Spam accounts on social networks are becoming increasingly popular and well-known accounts like those of Twitter executives, Britney Spears and Barack Obama have even been hacked by cybercriminals.
Malware like the "Mikeey" worm and new variations of the Koobface Trojan attack users through tweets and abbreviated URLs, the news release from McAfee said.
