The number of online threats will have grown tenfold by the end of 2007, according to researchers at anti-malware firm Kaspersky.

Kaspersky analysts said at Infosec Europe 2008 that new malicious programs recorded on the internet, including viruses, worms and Trojans, amounted to 2.2 million in 2007, representing a fourfold increase on the 535,131 recorded in 2006.

David Emm, senior technology consultant at Kaspersky Labs, predicted that the year-end results for 2008 will demonstrate a very different trend.

The overall volume of detected malware reached 354GB in 2007, and many leading antivirus experts called for urgent measures this huge increase in malware with the utmost urgency.

"In addition to the quantity, the quality of malicious programs is also improving," said Emm.

"New and more complex samples such as the notorious Storm worm are emerging that demonstrate a wide range of hostile behaviour and distribution methods."

Kaspersky added around 250,000 new signatures to its antivirus databases in 2007 but, according to its forecast, one million new signatures will be added in 2008.

"With the help of new technologies it will be possible for a fourfold increase in the number of new signatures to combat the tenfold increase in the number of new malicious programs," explained Emm.

"These technologies allow one signature to successfully neutralise dozens or even hundreds of different types of malicious programs."