A Word to the Wise about Evolving Security Threats As we enter the second quarter of 2005, the known threats posed by malware, viruses in computers and mobile phones, and the improper use of the Internet only seem to increase in magnitude and complexity.In a single decade, the number of recognized viruses has grown from 5,500 to a burgeoning 100,000 in 2005. In spite of the facts, a significant volume of daily Internet users in the home and in enterprises around the world fail to protect their computers with the latest anti virus software or to use firewalls.As a result, online crime is flourishing spam is big business with many computers unwittingly sending out spam around the world as spam zombies. Aside from the criminality and inconvenience caused by spam, the irony is that people are supporting the people behind it by actually buying the products advertised. In doing so, they are giving the spam kings the opportunity to further invest in their operations with predictable results for the whole online community.Phishing is another growing phenomenon that results in the loss of large volumes of money and invaluable data from home users to corporations alike. Bank robbers are just as likely these days to steal money electronically as physically. In October 2004, Brazilian police arrested 53 people suspected of stealing close to $30 million through Internet fraud. The hackers, most of in their mid-twenties, sent emails with Trojans enclosed to potential victims which forwarded all key personal information, logins, passwords and account numbers.At an overall level, hacking is no longer the preserve of misdirected youths testing out their coding powers to create viruses. In the last two years, it has become a career choice with virus writers joining criminal syndicates for clear gain. As with any well-paid job, the criminal fraternity has been able to attract motivated and talented staff. This poses great challenges for law enforcement authorities and F-Secure alike. In recent time, the world has also witnessed the emergence of mobile phones viruses. Since June last year, there have been ten detectable mobile phone viruses and, like their computer counterparts, this number will undoubtedly grow. The good news so far is that most are spread via Bluetooth wireless technology, which poses a number of hurdles before the virus is installed. The other good news is that F-Secure has anticipated the threat with F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus products both at phone and operator level. Nevertheless, the threat is out there and we will be watching closely for developmentsAt a consumer level in the computing world, the growth of ADSL, increasingly affordable choice for Internet connection, means that more and more people are staying online for longer including children who are often exposed to pornography and other inappropriate material for minors.There are two key initiatives for addressing these evolving online threats: the first is to leverage the users knowledge through information and awareness; the second is to protect the computer itself from attacks and regulate access.The first initiative should always represent the front line of defence because there are clear advantages to being wise to threats as they evolve. In this regard, this article of Protected offers some good advice in the article Protecting your Child from the Dark Side of the Net and also the article outlining F-Secures partnership with Microsoft.In the second initiative, in this issue you will also find the latest information about product suite releases for enterprises and corporations, news about the latest mobile threats and a new weapon in F-Secures arsenal to fight the potential threat of rootkit intrusion. In all instances, we wholeheartedly recommend you make informed choices to protect yourself, your family and your business its the only way to be sure.Author: Mark Woods, Corporate Communicator Begin | Back
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