14 DAY TRIAL // Hackers are restless and you know it! They will change their tactics, their targets etc., but they will never stop. However, a recent study by SecureWorks (a firm providing managed security services) shows a 90% increase in the number of hacker attacks against utilities. From January to April, SecureWorks blocked an average of 49 attackers per utility client per day. Whereas, from May through September, it saw an average of 93 hacker attempt attacks on each of its utility clients per day. So now you see the importance of staying secure. Those were attacks on each utility, every single day! So this is huge, especially if you have a lot of utilities running!
"When researching these new statistics, we found that Web Browser attacks represented a large number of the attacks attempted against our clients, including our utility customers," said Wayne Haber, director of development at SecureWorks. And everybody has Internet browsers, that's why we're always talking about how important it is to have a firewall and an anti-virus - you could get hacked quite easily without them!
"In 2007, we blocked significantly more browser attacks for our clients then we did the year prior, as many of the top trojans are using websites and email links as infection vectors. Some of the most prominent malware using these tactics include the Gozi, Prg, Storm and BBB/IRS Trojans. Unfortunately, there are companies that don't employ an Intrusion Prevention Solution and depend solely on their anti-virus software to protect them. This tactic can make many of them vulnerable because anti-virus vendors are often not able to release protections until several weeks after a new piece of malware has been out in the wild", said Haber.
Nobody said staying secure was easy, but it's something you have to do, especially at the rate cyber-crime is increasing right now!