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Hackers are switching targets now, companies are getting too hard to break into due to the availability of decently configured perimeter kit like firewalls and IDS.<\/p>\n
Plus the information they do get if they manage to break in is often worthless commercially and really not worth the effort.<\/p>\n
So instead, they target the end user, home bankers, those who they can scam, con or phish!<\/p>\n
Consumers are now on the main target of malicious hackers intent on enriching themselves through the misery of others. Vulnerabilities in desktop applications and the increased use of stealth techniques are on the rise among members of the digital underground, according to the latest edition of Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report.<\/p>\n
The report, which covers the first half of 2006, suggests that consumer security protection is weak, leaving Joe Public easy prey to identity thieves, botnet herders and other financially motivated criminals. Crackers are using a variety of techniques to escape detection and remain on infected systems for longer. Symantec reckons assaults against consumers account for 86 per cent of all targeted attacks. Banks and other financial sector organisations are the second most prevalent target for internet attacks. Phishing attacks almost doubled during the reporting period.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The information on your desktop could be valuable to someone…remember aswell spyware\/adware companies are making tens of millions infecting users and just simply collecting information about Internet useage and surfing habits.<\/p>\n
In the first half of 2006, 18 per cent of all malicious code samples detected by Symantec had not been seen before, indicating that hackers are trying harder to evade detection by signature-based anti virus and intrusion prevention systems.<\/p>\n
Phishers are also attempting to bypass filtering technologies by creating multiple randomised messages. In H1 2006, 157,477 unique phishing messages were detected, 81 per cent more than the previous six months. The financial services sector was the most heavily phished, accounting for 84 per cent of phishing sites tracked by the Symantec.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This shows a BIG pickup in new and unique code, people are trying harder and getting smarter, phishers are starting to use the tricks spammers are already using. Loads of phishing.<\/p>\n
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