| If you have been reading the news lately and picking | | | | around the antivirus software in use by the large |
| up on all the commotion around hack attacks on some | | | | corporations. They continue painstakingly to tweak |
| of the big guns like Google, Yahoo and Adobe you | | | | their malware until it is effective. Smaller companies |
| may be experiencing a twinge of anxiety over the | | | | that don't have the budget for a large scale security |
| security for your own business. You may have | | | | have not stood a chance. The hackers have the ability |
| believed your network was invincible so this news | | | | to commandeer only one employee's laptop and make |
| could leave you feeling shaky. You have good reason | | | | it a gateway for total administrative access to the |
| to feel this way - according to an article in the Sydney | | | | company's entire network. |
| Morning Herald the number of hackers tampering with | | | | The security firm, iSec Partners that investigated the |
| private financial information belonging to Australian | | | | attack on Google and ensuing corporations |
| business is on the rise. Obviously using the internet and | | | | recommend we make fundamental changes to the |
| intranet for business has become a viable solution to | | | | way we protect our networks. They say we have |
| accomplishing company objectives, but on the | | | | simply not been prepared for the level of sophistication |
| downside the criminal faction sees just as much | | | | demonstrated by the new cyber criminals. |
| opportunity. | | | | Hacker Stories in the Australian News |
| Australia is a Frequent Target for Cyber Crime | | | | Internet news sites report the direct effects of cyber |
| Symantec, a data security firm reported that | | | | hacking on Australia. Today Online posted a news |
| Australian and New Zealand businesses suffer 75% | | | | article about a hacker called "Ghostbuster" that has |
| more security breaches than the global average with | | | | been targeting Melbourne businesses as a response to |
| 89% of the companies polled in the last 12 months | | | | violence against Indians. The person behind the attacks |
| admitting at least one intrusion. Hackers are not | | | | has been sending threatening emails stating Australian |
| necessarily going after the major companies where | | | | servers will be hacked until racism against Indian |
| they can make off with large sums of money. Like | | | | nationals is ended. The action came in the wake of the |
| any other thief, they go where the risk is low and they | | | | murder of a 21-year-old Punjabi student in January |
| can get in and out of a system quickly and without | | | | 2010. Several Melbourne businesses were victimized |
| detection. The fact is you don't have to be at any | | | | when their entire networks were thrown into chaos. |
| particular level of business profitability to be targeted. | | | | In the technology section of The Age is a report |
| Smaller companies tend to use less comprehensive IT | | | | describing the effects on government websites by |
| security making them more susceptible. In general, | | | | hackers associated with the group "Anonymous", |
| hackers are interested in easy money. | | | | known for its attacks on Scientology. This is the same |
| Google and Other Large Corporations are Not Exempt | | | | group that temporarily blasted pornography across |
| The threat does not always revolve around banking | | | | Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's website. On the morning |
| information or sensitive intellectual property. As Google | | | | of February 10, 2010 a number of government sites |
| discovered in December 2009, issues such as human | | | | were down. The attack was in opposition to the |
| rights are at stake in cyber attacks. The advertising | | | | government's plans for internet censorship. |
| and search giant was appalled that a highly organized | | | | Communications Minister Stephen Conroy was not |
| effort dubbed "Aurora" was being made to hack into | | | | happy with the fact that Australian citizens could not |
| the Gmail accounts of Chinese human right activists. | | | | obtain needed services online and felt it was |
| They managed to infiltrate only two accounts and | | | | irresponsible on the part of the hackers. |
| were not able to see the account holders' actual | | | | In the Sydney Morning Herald one journalist mentions |
| correspondence. The action put Google in the position | | | | the statistics that there are now more mobile devices |
| where it felt it necessary to warn the Chinese human | | | | in the country than Australians. It is not unusual for an |
| rights community of the attack and to prepare to | | | | individual to own two or three. The rising use of |
| withdraw business ties with China. Officials at Google | | | | wireless broadband provides accessibility and |
| did not directly accuse the Chinese government of | | | | convenience for subscribers but it also expands the |
| being the perpetrators but they decided to review | | | | territory for cyber criminals. Currently there are more |
| doing business with the country based its attempts to | | | | barriers to cyber hacking wireless devices than |
| limit free speech on the internet. Google stated | | | | terrestrial networks, such as the cost of making a |
| concern for the safety of the Chinese citizens and the | | | | phone call. However with the advances in mobile |
| potential for them to be interrogated and imprisoned. | | | | device technology to the point where it can replace |
| There were at least 20 other large internet, media, | | | | the need for owning a laptop computer the potential |
| finance and technology companies included in the | | | | for being targeted by hackers exists. The actual |
| attack: Yahoo, Adobe, Symantec, Dow Chemical and | | | | devices may be secure but the Wi-Fi network, often |
| Northrop Grumman to name a few. It was | | | | free and faster for users in public places is a |
| accomplished through a technique called "spear | | | | temptation for cyber criminals. You may believe you |
| phishing." This resembles an attack against 100 IT | | | | have connected to a site operated by an airport, hotel |
| companies in July 2009 where company employees | | | | or coffee shop, but there is no way of knowing for |
| were targeted with infected email attachments. | | | | sure who controls the IP address that now has |
| Small and Midsize Businesses have Minimal Defense | | | | access to everything in your computer or mobile |
| Most businesses are totally defenseless against these | | | | device. It is not that difficult for hackers to present a |
| sophisticated attacks. They use instant messages and | | | | fake website you feel you can trust that they can use |
| emails that seem innocent at first because the | | | | to steal from your network at any time in the future. |
| senders appear to be friends and trusted colleagues. | | | | Millions of dollars are stolen everyday from individuals |
| The messages are fine-tuned to evade the anti-virus | | | | and businesses that use the internet. We are warned |
| programs designed for these applications. Evidently the | | | | frequently about viruses, worms and phishing scam but |
| best practices for IT security that have successfully | | | | somehow we get caught anyway. The situation is |
| held attackers at bay for many years are no longer | | | | getting worse as hackers become better adept at |
| sufficient. There is an innovative caliber of attacks | | | | breaking down the unique systems designed to keep |
| circulating around the globe using custom malware | | | | them out. If you are still experiencing discomfort about |
| written specifically for individual companies. The | | | | the vulnerability of your network it will pay off to attend |
| hackers don't seem to mind if it takes longer to get | | | | to your gut feeling. |