43 Percent Rise in Cyber-Assaults Observed Against Retail Consumers

Hackers' attacks against the retail industry are now 43% more from 2010, mainly because of a rise in SQL insertions as well as exploit toolkits' usage, state security experts from Dell SecureWorks, according to the news that SCMagazine published on October 12, 2011.

During January-September 2011, Dell SecureWorks stopped a mean of 91,500 assaults for every retail consumer in contrast with 63,581 assaults during April-December 2010.

In particular, cyber-criminals have been targeting retail consumers, robustly using insertion assaults, method helping abuse Web-software vulnerabilities via the insertion of malevolent SQL scripts within Web-traffic. Albeit, cyber-criminals have been popularly utilizing this attack method for reasonably long, its success continues to remain even now.

During 2010, for just over half (51%) of retail consumers, there was one-or-more severe security flaw, including SQL insertion, leaked daily throughout the year.

Apparently hackers have launched 3 prime techniques towards making money, with one popularly being the SQL insertion.

Additionally, online thieves too utilized SQL insertion assaults like within the Heartland Payment Systems security breach along with in the breaches of Hannaford Brothers as also 3 other retailers, all of which got wide publicity, as they stole 130m debit/credit cards.

Jon Ramsey, CTO of Dell SecureWorks says that to safeguard servers, there's need for robust and safe practices for software development along with identification and blockage mechanisms. He adds that safeguarding customers is based on proper system hygiene as also identification and blockage mechanisms, which restrict susceptibility to assaults by malevolent Internet sites. Softpedia reported this on October 13, 2011.

Moreover, as per the company's report, exploit toolkits available on the Web for creating and disseminating various malicious programs are as well largely used. These toolkits normally mask as colorful ads that imitate malevolent components inundating contaminated PCs with fake anti-virus software, DDoS Trojans, and bank account capturing malicious Trojans.

Hence, the company suggests retailers for installing IPS (Intrusion Prevention Solutions) as safeguard for instruments from the above type of threats. Further suggestions offered towards protecting a network are: utilizing web-software firewall, doing routine vulnerability scans, monitoring security gadgets and servers, and performing content filtering and penetration tests.

Related article: “Loopholes did not cause online banking thefts”: ICBC

» SPAMfighter News - 10/20/2011