Web threats to surpass e-mail pests

By 2008, Internet users can expect more cyberattacks to originate from the Web than via e-mail, security firm Trend Micro predicts.

Security firms find difficulties in securing what comes into a network and computers over port 80. Port 80 is the network port used to browse the Web using the hypertext transfer protocol, or HTTP.

According to Raimund Genes, Trend Micro's chief researcher, the definite driving force of  Web threats is malware for profit.

Criminals are offering up to $75,000 for a Windows XP vulnerability and $50,000 for a Windows Vista vulnerability, Genes said. Security firms such as VeriSign's iDefense and 3Com's TippingPoint pay around $12,000, he said. "The good guys are paying, but the bad guys are paying more," Genes said.