The time is coming when zero-day threats will become a reality, according to Symantec Corp.'s recently released Internet Security Threat Report. The report found the total number of vulnerabilities remained constant between 2003 and 2002, but the actual flaws are more severe. "In addition, the period of time between the announcement of a vulnerability and the release of an associated exploit is shrinking," according to a press release on the report. In total, 2003 saw 2,636 vulnerabilities released, compared to 2,587 found in 2002. However, there was a monthly average of 115 "moderately severe" flaws last year compared to just 98 a month in 2002. Moreover, the number of vulnerabilities that have exploit code increased 5% in 2003.
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