Symantec detects new Targeted Attacks
2012-08-18Symantec has recently identified a new series of targeted attacks, dubbed the Shamoon attacks, affecting a critical sector globally - the energy sector. Critical Infrastructure providers come from industries that are of such importance either to a nation's economy or society that if their cyber networks were successfully attacked and disabled, it would have a significant societal impact and potentially even threat national security.
The trend we've seen until now is that targeted attacks use customized malware and refined targeted social engineering to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. However, unlike the current trend, the Shamoon attacks seek to render infected computers unusable by corrupting critical files.
"Cyber-attacks today are a perfect example of fact following fiction. A few years ago, it was only in the movies that we saw sophisticated threats that could sabotage systems or potentially cause explosions. Stuxnet was a marker that we have entered a new world, where organized and politically motivated cyber criminals are crafting sophisticated threats aimed at wreaking havoc in the physical world. Two years since we first detected Stuxnet, we have seen many more cyber-attacks of similar sophistication - Duqu, Nitro and most recently, Flamer," said ShantanuGhosh, VP & MD, India Product Operations.
In fact Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17 revealed that targeted attacks and APTs would continue to be a serious issue and the frequency and sophistication of these attacks would increase. Also techniques and exploits developed for targeted attacks would trickle down to the broader underground economy and be used to make regular malware more dangerous.
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