Hackers turn attention to social media and mobiles

The biggest threats to people’s online activities come from sub-standard security on mobile web browsers, threats to social media sites, and highly-targeted attacks against corporations and organisations.
That’s the conclusion of the latest internet security threat report, published by online security software specialist Symantec.
And hackers will capitalise increasingly on trust they have from their colleagues to launch online attacks, its report says.
This is how the biggest attack of 2010, known as Stuxnet, was transmitted. It targeted industrial control systems, and at the time was said to be the most sophisticated malware ever discovered. It proved, cyber defence experts say, that  malware can be used to disrupt vital infrastructure, such as electrical power supply grids, water pipelines and financial trading systems.
But, says Symantec engineer Sian John: “The important thing to note from 2010 is that targeted attacks were not confined to large multinational companies and government agencies, but included a surprising number of smaller organisations.”
As smaller companies in particular try to reduce the number of helpdesk calls they make, users are being increasingly allowed to install software on their PCs. But, says John, targeted attacks show the need for technologies to enable organisations to manage and control this centrally.
And as people turn increasingly to social media for both professional and personal purposes, says John, businesses need to have clear controls in place over its use.
The growth in the use of shortened URLs also enabled many attackers to disguise the true nature of the material they contain, John added.
“These attacks exploit the implied trust around social media,” he said, “with shortened URLs accounting for 65 per cent of malicious links in news feeds in 2010.”
The availability of so-called attack toolkits, which are sold on the black market and can be used to launch attacks on computer networks, is also cited by Symantec as a major foreseeable threat.