Symantec report says cyber-crime rising. According to the Internet Security Threat Report published by Symantec, a company specialising in information technology security, the number of computer threats increased again in 2009. The study reveals that the number of viruses detected by Symantec was 240 million in 2009, double the figure for 2008. Similarly, Symantec had to edit 71% more antivirus signatures than in 2008. The country most affected by malicious code activity is the US (which accounts for 19% of all malicious code activities), far more than in China (8%) and Brazil. India and Poland have now also entered the top 10 countries most affected by attacks of this nature. Malicious code activities are in general spreading to emerging countries like India and Brazil, where broadband has just been set up, explained Symantec. Spam is very widespread and Trojan horses are increasing massively. They account for 56% of viruses identified by Symantec, like “phishing” sites used by fraudulent parties to obtain personal intelligence. Symantec identified 59,526 of these sites in the world, a 7% increase over the year. Companies have not been spared. In the wake of what happened to Google, a victim to massive information technology attacks in China, 75% of major companies questioned by Symantec, said that they had been victim to cyber attacks over the last 12 months, with a total cost of $2 million a year. (I.L./transl.fl