The third time was not a charm...

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Spyware soared in the first quarter this year - infecting an estimated 87 percent of consumers' PCs, according to security firm Webroot, which released its State of Spyware report Tuesday.

That's quiet a pop from the previous two quarters, when spyware had infected an estimated 72 percent of consumer PCs, according to Gerhard Eschelbeck, Webroot chief technology officer.

Webroot's CTO pointed to three things that drove the rapid rise of spyware in the first quarter. Topping the list was the flurry of IE flaws in the quarter that didn't have a patch available at the time they were disclosed. Greater sophistication of rootkits and a resurgence in building blocks to make phishing Trojan horses also added fuel to the fire for spyware.

And don't expect things to improve anytime soon. Eschelbeck estimates the infection rate for PCs will be in the 85 percent and 90 percent range for the rest of the year.

See original article at CNet