The Evolution of Malware, 2006

http://www.viruslist.com/analysis?pubid=191951869(((Makes for edifying if rather melancholy reading.)))"Superficially at least, the second quarter of 2006 appeared to be one of the most peaceful in recent years. Significant email or network worm epidemics were almost completely non-existent, and the majority of leading antivirus vendors released either beta or fully functional new generation products. Virus writers took time off to develop new methods of combating anti-virus programs. Because of this, the main battles were fought over technical issues, and were invisible to normal users. However, sometimes the aftermath of these hidden wars reached the print, broadcast, and most frequently the online media. This report provides a more detailed look at the events which remained in the shadows and those which attracted the attention both of users and antivirus manufacturers."