Corporate brands face <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6180176.html?tag=nl.e550">multipronged assaults from fraudulent online attackers,</A> according to a report published Monday that quantifies the scope of the most common threats.

MarkMonitor, which supplies Internet brand protection services to companies, said its new "Brandjacking Index" found cybersquatting--in which illicit sites usurp popular trademarks--false association, phishing and click fraud as major threats.

A four-week survey of public Web sites completed early in April found cybersquatting posed the greatest threat to brands. Phishing--the criminal use of e-mail to trick consumers into divulging passwords, credit cards and other personal details--and domain "kiting"--the rapid registering and dropping of similar-sounding Web site names--are on the rise.