Computer users today face a new round of attacks that pose newchallenges to both consumers and businesses. These new attack vectorsoften sidestep traditional security defenses. Hackers, supported byinternational crime gangs with deep pockets, are accostingconsumers and office workers with sophisticated technology.
The threat landscape is changing. Hackers are more determined thanever to steal valuable data, credit card and banking accountcredentials and much more. Computer hackers, much like the golddiggers of the Wild West of yester-year, are determined to hitthe mother lode of sellable business and personal information.
Hackers do not stop trying when they confront more solid computer andnetwork security. Instead of turning back, they develop better methodsto trick users into letting them inside network perimeters andcomputer defenses.
The latest security research shows that the attackers are no longerjust going after the low-hanging fruit of organizations. The bad guysare not just picking from places they find with no security solutionsin place.
“They are looking at the advanced security solutions thatorganizations use and are finding ways to get around them as well,”Ashar Aziz, CEO of FireEye, told TechNewsWorld.
Doing Their Homework
Hackers are modifying their attack vectors. They are much moresophisticated now and show a lot more advanced knowledge of corporatenetworks they target.
One way hackers achieve this goal is learning what holes exist ispopular software that the good guys haven’t found or patched yet. This isforcing security pros to constantly figure out new defenses.
The predominant theme is highly sophisticated and targeted attacksusing novel and previously undisclosed vulnerabilities in commonlydeployed applications and vendors such as Adobe, Flash, Web browsers andinfrastructure, Aziz explained.
“We are seeing folks launch attacks showing an advanced knowledge ofthe target’s network,” Steve Shillingford, CEO
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