Home Users: The New Targets Of Cyber Criminals For Financial Gains

The most recent Internet Security Threat Report issued by Symantec on Sep 25, 2006, establishes that since home computers have remote chances of having reputable security system in position, they are perpetually under attack by perpetrators of identity theft, scam, or other economically propelled cyber crime.

Furthermore, hackers are now employing various methods to avoid detection and extend their existence on computers to secure extra time to thieve data, commandeer the computer for marketing uses, offers remote entry, or else expose private data for profit.

As per the organization, home end users are the most vulnerable segment, comprising 86% of overall directed attacks, with financial organizations coming next. The organization has discovered intensified strikes directed towards client-side programs, compounded utilization of elusive strategies to evade exposure, and that big, dominant net worms have submitted to smaller, more targeted attacks concentrating on scam, identity theft, and illegal operations.

"Cyberpunks perceive users as the frailest connection in the security link and are perpetually aiming them in an endeavor to gain advantage," stated the senior vice president of Symantec Security Response and Managed Services, Arthur Wong. "With the kind of outcome this has on our huge and rising subscriber base, Symantec laid new metrics to understand enhanced ways to safeguard clients against such security interests in future."

Phishers are struggling to sidestep filtering software by developing irregular messages and spreading them abundantly and relentlessly. Starting from Jan 2006 to June 2006, 157,477 select phishing contents were distinguished, indicating an 81 percent increment during the past years.

Simultaneously, junk e-mail comprised 54 percent of every supervised net mail transfer, a small rise from 50 percent in the preceding year. Majority of spammers prefer to leave out malevolent programs with their junk e-mails to reduce the odds of being barred and in its place, incorporates contacts to sites having malevolent code.

While software dealers and companies effectively adjust to the varying menaces by enforcing the greatest security measures and comprehensive security tactics, hackers have started to embrace innovative methods like aiming malevolent program at guest-side programs including Net browsers, netmail subscribers, and other desktop implementations.

Related article: Hawaiian Legislature Hobbled By Computer Virus

» SPAMfighter News - 9/29/2006