Windows 7 Could Create Cybercrime 'Ghettos'

Cybercriminals are lazy. Given the choice between adapting their malicious software to a new operating system or focusing on users who haven't made the switch, they'll inevitably choose the path of least resistance, according to a new report from Finnish security firm F-Secure.

This could spell trouble for the developing world. According to F-Secure's report on 2010 cybercrime trends, the shift from Windows XP to Windows 7 could give rise to malicious software "ghettos" in emerging markets that are slow to upgrade to the more secure operating system. "Cybercriminals will always look for the easy targets," says F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen. "And that means they'll focus on these developing countries."