AVG Technologies, the global internet security company with over 80 million customers, today announces the opening of its international research centre in Brno, Czech Republic. The AVG Malware TRAP Centrum (M-TRAP – Malware Trending, Reporting, Analysis, and Prevalence) gathers and analyses information on malware and how it spreads across the internet.

Social networking tools are increasingly opening us up to risk of attack by malware. It is much easier to inadvertently spread worms to our friends’ PCs than ever before. However, it’s not just social networking sites that are at risk – our computer peripherals are being targeted too. Researchers have identified a cyber espionage network, dubbed Ghostnet, which is capable of taking full control of infected computers – including searching and downloading specific files and operating attached devices like microphones and web-cameras. It is now more important than ever to be searching for these threats before they become a big problem.

The M-TRAP researchers run the malware under quarantine conditions and obtains the data via AVG’s 80 million users around the world. The researchers observe behaviour and speeds, allowing them to create a cure against the malware. Karel Obluk, CTO of AVG Technologies and the initiator of the project, says: “M-TRAP will search for interconnections to detect and prevent the spread of malware. We are seeing a rise in malware targeting social networking sites and we will be using the research results to develop new technologies for the ongoing and effective fight against these computer threats”.

The AVG Malware TRAP Centrum team consists of five IT professionals. The M-TRAP research centre is run in conjunction with the Faculty of Information Technologies (FIT) of Brno University of Technology and the partnership will enable students to work in the labs to gain work experience. “In the past we supported a number of research projects at the FIT. Following the opening of our research centre we will provide the undergraduate and graduate students with opportunity to take part in its research activities,” added Obluk.

The Brno Centre is one of three research facilities for AVG Technologies dedicated to discovering malicious codes, and helps to cement AVG Technologies as the leader in global internet security.