F-Secure in H1-2012 Noticed a Flow in Threat Landscape

F-Secure's new intimidation report launched recently for the initial half of 2012 discover a security setting in which spotlight has transferred away from common computer virus and malware intimidation to nation state backed cyber attack.

"Stuxnet and its successor flame and gauss, merely can be denoted as game changers. I think we are now noticing the initial steps of new cyber arms race," said by Mikki Hypponen, Chief Research Officer at F-Secure in a statement published by HELP NET SECURITY, on August 21, 2012.

Stuxnet take 10 years to expand, estimated by F-secure labs which signify that cyber welfare has turned into very feasible option compared to other usual methods like subtlety or boycotts.

"Countries are employing malware to harass each other. The cyber warfare insurgency is in progress. It's occurring right now," commented Mikki Hypponen.

According to Sean Sullivan, Security Researcher at F-secure, the publication of the report and claim that the discovery of these cyber espionage tools has encouraged a lot of people to ask: "how does it concern you?", published by ibtimes.co.uk on August 21, 2012.

Considering that Flame had the ability to connect to any paired mobile phone near an infected machine and steal the address book from the phone, it is clear that these potential new pieces of malware could be very powerful indeed.

And, In addition to cyber warfare, the new report also talks of malware on Macs. In the first half of 2012, F-Secure encountered the first massive malware outbreak on the Mac OS X platform. This malware, dubbed Flashback, reportedly infected more than 600,000 Macs around the world. By a simple rough estimate, if we assume there are approximately 45 million Macs out there, Flashback would thus have infected more than 1% of the available machines, making it as widespread on Macs as the 2009 Conficker worm outbreak was on Windows.

Sullivan suppose that the high-end susceptibility research which has been undergo to form the likes of flame and gauss, will ultimately trickle down to the cybercriminals who aim you and me, let them "produce more potent attacks".

Taking into account that flame had been capable to attach to any paired mobile phone near an contaminated machine and steal the address book from the phone, it is obvious that these potential novel pieces of malware could be very influential indeed.

And, in addition to cyber warfare, the new report also says of malware on Macs. In the first half of 2012, F-Secure found the first massive malware outbreak on the Mac OS X platform. This malware, dubbed flashback reported infected more than 600,000 Macs around the world. By a simple rough estimate, if we suppose there are approximately 45 million Macs out there, flashback would thus have infected more than 1% of available machines, making it as widespread on Macs as the 2009 conficker worm outbreak was on windows.

Related article: FIA Catches Hackers For Demanding Ransom

» SPAMfighter News - 8/28/2012