Cyber Security to be Dismal in 2008

Web security and messaging services provider MessageLabs has announced its predictions for the state of cyber security in 2008, saying that the year would have attacks that would be more intelligent with a wider reach.

Chief Security analyst, Mark Sunner, at MessageLabs said in a statement that the year 2007 saw a high level of fruitful cyber crime with some criminal groups becoming notoriously famous in the industry. A vibrant market with an element of notoriety encourages inflow of new criminals seeking success; therefore, the forthcoming threat market of 2008 is expected to be much more vibrant. IDM published Sunner's statement on November 19, 2007.

As more players are joining the security market, there might also be significant increase in the methods and techniques of attacks the criminals will employ. Since the bad guys know their attacks can be predicted, they will play safe by not repeating them.

A particularly dangerous threat that the security company has predicted for the approaching year is 'botnets' that would spread and expand even further, with new ones adding on. 2007 witnessed the entry of certain major players who acted with more inspiration and professionalism than their amateurish peers.

One such gang comprises the Storm worm creators who built the world's largest botnet. MessageLabs predicts the Storm botnet will continue to make an impact and this time, more intensely through both old and new tactics.

A common revelation by all security researches in 2007 is that online fraudsters set up goals that were financially-oriented rather than those that showed off skills. The underground economy is estimated at US$ 105 Billion, which makes it a definite area to draw a large number of hackers, according to MessageLabs.

The security firm has also predicted that the toolkits of spammers and scammers will be even more sophisticated in 2008 with the adoption of file attachments and several new approaches. Video file attachments will make the format in future spam mails and some spammers would use PowerPoint attachments as well. They will also make targeted attacks just like the virus writers. These techniques will all contribute to spamming intelligence in 2008.

Related article: Cyber Child abuser Sentenced To Imprisonment

» SPAMfighter News - 12/10/2007