| The following is adapted by an article in entitled, 2004: | | | | executed on infected systems. |
| Year of the Cyber-Crime Pandemic. Although written | | | | As eWEEK.com's Ryan Naraine reported, spyware, |
| in 2004, the epidemic appears to be getting worst, not | | | | also known as adware, has become the preferred |
| better. | | | | way to deliver malicious Trojans, which can relay |
| But wait a minute! Notice I said, "appears to be getting | | | | information to other computers or Web locations, thus |
| worst". On the surface, it seems like the epidemic has | | | | putting user passwords, log-in details, credit card |
| become a pandemic. While cybercrime might have | | | | numbers and other personal information at risk. |
| increased so, too, has online security to combat it. | | | | Notwithstanding financial chief security officers' |
| Although cybercriminals might be a step or two ahead | | | | complaints, the Feds spent a good deal of the past |
| of authorities, they don't stay there long. As soon as | | | | year studying cyber-crime, pondering and passing |
| authorities close in on them, they shut down operation | | | | legislation to thwart it, and even handing down the |
| and move on. In a way that's a small victory. The small | | | | first-ever felony conviction of a spammer. The |
| battles may be won by the authorities and experts, but | | | | spammer, Jeremy Jaynes, received a sentence of |
| for them the war against cybercrime and | | | | nine years in prison when a jury in AOL's home county |
| cybercriminals wages on. | | | | convicted him and his sister. |
| Now, here's what had to say, in paraphrased fashion: | | | | Meanwhile, a federal sweep, named Operation Web |
| Internet crime and security have become increasingly | | | | Snare, nabbed 150 individuals and 117 criminal |
| complicated in the past years. In November alone, | | | | complaints between June and August. As eWEEK's |
| there were 8,459 new, unique phishing e-mail | | | | Dennis Callaghan reported, the effort, largely directed |
| messages reported to the Anti-Phishing Working | | | | against phishers, was thought to be the largest one yet |
| Group. That's nearly four times the number received in | | | | taken against cyber-criminals. |
| August and represents an average monthly growth | | | | Reactions to the cyber-criminal sweep were mixed, |
| rate of 34 percent since July. | | | | however, as some legal and online fraud experts |
| What's uniquely alarming about this epidemic is that | | | | opined that it was too little, too late. |
| phishing is such an alluringly lucrative cybercrime: It | | | | Finally, if there's any silver lining to the dark cloud of |
| involves duping victims into revealing personal financial | | | | cyber-crime that's blossomed in the past year, it is this: |
| data, including credit card numbers, account user | | | | Congress is finally taking these issues seriously. |
| names and passwords, and/or Social Security | | | | As eWEEK's Caron Carlson reported, the Senate in |
| numbers. | | | | June approved legislation aimed at stopping identity |
| The sophistication of these attacks has grown by | | | | theft by increasing criminal penalties and creating a |
| leaps and bounds. For example, as eWEEK.com's | | | | new crime of aggravated ID theft, which the president |
| Matthew Broersma reported in December, | | | | has since signed into law. |
| researchers have found that most Web browsers | | | | The House took on the task of probing spyware in |
| handle pop-up windows in a manner that makes them | | | | April, and legislation targeting spyware was introduced |
| vulnerable to a simple phishing technique that allows | | | | into the Senate and House, with Utah ahead of the |
| fake content to look genuine. | | | | curve in enacting an anti-spyware law. |
| Even fully patched, standard versions of globally used | | | | The House in September approved legislation that |
| browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, | | | | prohibits "taking control" of a computer, surreptitiously |
| Konqueror, and Safari-used by trusted sites such as | | | | modifying a Web browser's home page, or disabling |
| banks-allow malicious sites to insert their own content | | | | anti-virus software without proper authorization. |
| into any pop-up window, as long as the target name | | | | With all of these busts, and with all of this legislative |
| of the window is known. | | | | pondering, does it finally mean we have some tools to |
| Over the past year, experts also warned of new | | | | beat down the alarming rise of cybercrime? |
| attacks that not only circumvent DomainKeys but, | | | | eWEEK.com's Larry Seltzer earlier in the year had |
| adding insult to injury, even exploit the fledgling e-mail | | | | read various versions of bills pending at the time, and |
| signing technology for their nefarious ends. | | | | he wasn't optimistic, given that the legislative language |
| As eWEEK's Dennis Fisher reported, the technology | | | | had too much wiggle room. |
| once regarded by many in the security community as | | | | The upshot: In 2005, you'll have to be more vigilant, |
| one of the best hopes for preventing e-mail address | | | | you'll have to demand more from vendors vis-Ã |
| forgery is now being used to make bogus messages | | | | -vis secure products, and you'll have to go through |
| appear legitimate, thus undercutting confidence in the | | | | legislative wording with a fine-toothed comb. |
| system. | | | | Is that different from other years? No. But take it |
| "It proves that people will get to the point where they | | | | much, much more seriously this year. |
| can't trust e-mail from anywhere," one security expert, | | | | To protect yourself, you need an Internet security |
| who requested anonymity, told Fisher. | | | | team of experts making sure that you, your family, and |
| During a quarter in which analysts declared a 500 | | | | your business computer are always safe and secure. |
| percent increase in global phishing activity over the | | | | The best protection you can have in today's rapidly |
| previous quarter, Veterans Day was the nadir. | | | | changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert |
| Beginning in the early morning and continuing into the | | | | support for all your Internet security needs that will |
| weekend, the Internet exploded with attacks against | | | | provide technical support without any hassles and |
| companies including eBay, Citibank and other financial | | | | without charging you extra fees. It will become even |
| institutions. | | | | more critical than it is today as time goes on. You |
| Indeed, financial institutions are traditionally the likeliest | | | | need to find your own personal team of experts to |
| targets of Internet crime, yet chief security officers in | | | | rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will |
| the industry said they got scant help from the Feds | | | | want to have a trusted expert you can call for |
| over the past year, eWEEK's Fisher reported. | | | | professional help, without any hassles and extra costs! |
| Dave Cullinane, president of the Information Systems | | | | Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and |
| Security Association, gave a speech at the CSO | | | | more sophisticated in their operations, they are real |
| Interchange gathering, during which he said that the FBI | | | | threats to your personal security and privacy. Your |
| and other federal agencies are generally unresponsive | | | | money, your computer, your family, and your business |
| to requests for help from banks on phishing attacks | | | | are all at risk. These cybercriminals leave you with |
| unless the bank can show substantial financial losses. | | | | three choices: (1) Do nothing and hope their attacks, |
| "If you're running on the assumption that calling the FBI | | | | risks, and threats don't occur on your computer. (2) Do |
| will get you assistance, it won't," he said. | | | | research and get training to protect yourself, your |
| The growing threat of spyware. Beyond the phishing | | | | family, and your business. (3) Get professional help to |
| epidemic, spyware was on track to replace | | | | lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and |
| mass-mailing worms as the biggest security threat in | | | | threats. |
| the coming year. This technology, which uses covert | | | | Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and |
| techniques to install itself on computers and track user | | | | spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose! |
| activity, is dangerous because malicious code can be | | | | |