OREANDA-NEWS. February 09, 2015.  Kaspersky reports digitally signed malware -- malicious files using legitimate digital certificates -- is a growing threat to enterprises, increasing four-fold in the past six years.

Files signed with a digital certificate are often assumed to be secure by Web browsers and antivirus scanners, but according to Kaspersky Lab Inc., digital certificates are increasingly being used by attackers to slip malware into enterprises.

In new research released this week, Andrey Ladikov, head of strategic research at Kaspersky Lab, said that the number of legitimately obtained certificates embedded in malware has risen steadily every year since 2008, escalating from 1,500 known cases of digitally signed malware to more than 6,000 in 2014.