August worst month for hacker exploits
by Karl Cushing, © 2002 ComputerWeekly.com Ltd.
All rights reserved
The number of worldwide hacking attempts and electronic attacks in August
was the highest since records began in 1995. And more than 50% of all serious
attacks in the UK were suffered by the financial services sector, according
to the latest monthly intelligence briefing from security company mi2g.
Wednesday, 4 September 2002 - mi2g said
the figure for August was 5,580 attacks, outstripping the monthly average
for reported digital attacks, which have totalled 30,839 so far this year.
The figure is also close to matching the total number of attacks for the whole
of 2001.
On one day alone, 18 August, the organisation received reports of 1,120
attacks. mi2g chairman and chief executive DK Matai said, based on
the current situation, the number of attacks for 2003 could reach between
70,000 and 75,000 - equivalent to the total number of reports the organisation
has received since 1995.
The figures are based on reports of overt digital attacks held in mi2g's
security intelligence products and systems database, which records incidents
from across the globe.
Explaining the dramatic rise in the number of reported attacks, Matai said
cyber terrorists are becoming more sophisticated at gathering critical intelligence
on economic targets. They are also becoming better organised, forming "macro
hacking groups" and syndicates.
Matai added that organisations are compounding matters by failing to adopt
layered authentication procedures, patch vulnerabilities promptly, monitor
temporary staff and deal with disgruntled employees effectively.
"The biggest danger to an organisation is its
employees - no external hacker can cause severe damage without support from
an employee or ex-employee," he said.
Companies need to become more vigilant in areas such as personnel vetting
and monitoring voice and data traffic around known weak spots to combat the
risk of internal co-operation through insider social engineering, Matai said.
Financial bodies are most at risk, he added, being targeted by more than
half of the reported attacks.
