In the traditional scenario, it was an individual, highly technical and working alone, who would write a virus/malware program and then introduce it onto a computer, network server, or the Internet. Why? Ego, revenge, sabotage, and basic disgruntlement have all been cited as motivations.

Now, however, it takes no special skill to create a macro virus/malware, a mass mailer, or other virus/malware with highly disruptive potential. In fact, "virus kits" proliferate on the Internet and are free for the taking for anyone who wants to try their hand at disrupting the Internet or corporate communications.

And increasingly, organized crime from remote countries is getting into the act by creating sophisticated spyware/grayware programs and phish sites. Distributed through a million spam messages, these exploits are low effort but with a high potential for yielding personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, and credit card numbers.