SAN FRANCISCO: A Cisco security report released yesterday showed that hacker threats reached “startling levels” last year and that the world is suffering from a shortage of skilled computer defenders.
Cracks in defences and weapons for attacks rose to the highest levels since tracking began in 2000, while there was a worldwide shortage of nearly a million skilled security professionals to protect networks and machines, according to the annual Cisco report.
“To truly protect against all of these possible attacks, defenders must understand the attackers, their motivations and their methods before, during and after an attack,” said Cisco Threat Response Intelligence chief security officer John Stewart.
Technology and tactics used by online criminals have outpaced the ability of security professionals to defend against those threats, according to Cisco.
Hacker tactics include tricking people into revealing passwords or other sensitive information with ruses referred to as “social engineering” and taking advantage of trust relied on for financial, government or social activities online.
A sampling of 30 of the world’s largest Fortune 500 companies showed that websites booby-trapped with malicious code were visited from each of their networks, according to the report.
Java continued to be the programming language most frequently exploited by cyber criminals. Meanwhile, 99 percent of all mobile viruses targeted devices powered by Google-backed Android software, with a typical tactic being to hide it in applications available for download at unofficial online marketplaces, the report indicated. AFP
