New figures for August e-threats
The number of virus or malware infected e-mails being sent fell to one in every 1,000 in August, compared to one in every 322 during the first six months of the year.
Despite these figures, security firm Sophos said spam e-mails containing links to virus-infected webpages were increasing.
However, the number of webpages infected each day fell to an average of 5,000 in August, compared to 6,000 in July.
A Sophos spokeswoman said:
"Cybercriminals are successfully using e-mail and the web in co-ordination to infect innocent Internet surfers."Home users and businesses alike need to take more steps to protect themselves from online threats, or risk being hit time and time again."
