|
The enemy you can't see is usually the hardest to fight. And it's the adversary who doesn't operate out in the open that can often do the most damage. They move in the shadows, constantly changing tactics and repeatedly altering their point of attack. Elusive and dangerous, they may emerge briefly from their cover – only to vanish again just as quickly.
The world of messaging and web security has seen striking growth in just this type of activity. Anonymity, deceit and subterfuge are now established weapons in the arsenal of the “bad guys” targeting organizations like yours with profit-reducing malware, spam and scams. Increasingly, this enemy's ultimate aim is to access intellectual property and other confidential data – just the sort of information you can't afford to fall into the wrong hands. Now motivated by commercial gain rather than pure malice, these masters of disguise pose a greater threat than ever to the health of your business.
Long gone are the “good old bad old days” when threats generally had an instant and obvious effect – when many businesses simply warned employees not to click on dubiouslooking email attachments in case their computers became infected with a virus or some other unwelcome visitor. Today we are seeing a rising tide of dangers that are more cunning, harder to pin down and much more difficult to defend against. Many of these attack computers without their owners or users ever knowing it, often as a result of visiting an innocuous-looking website. Another key trend is the delivery of malware via “bad” weblinks rather than the traditional email attachment – a rapidly escalating trend that is proving a more efficient (and ultimately more lucrative) way for the bad guys to realize their objectives.
And much of the time those objectives involve the secret pilfering of business-critical information from your organization. Examining recent developments in the threat landscape, this MessageLabs whitepaper focuses on the emergence of the web and covert information-gathering as key battlegrounds in the ongoing war against malware propagators and the criminal gangs increasingly active in this field. Above all, the paper highlights the crucial danger points for any business that doesn't defend itself adequately against undercover threats and invisible enemies. But it also outlines a ready-made solution that can protect your business, immediately, comprehensively and cost-effectively.
The information presented here is based on MessageLabs hands-on experience of providing proven messaging and web security management services for over 17,000 clients worldwide, with around 2.5 billion attempted Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) connections processed every day on their behalf.
Spyware: Agent of Chaos
Perhaps the best-known example of an undercover threat is spyware, which first appeared around five years ago. Essentially, spyware is software that gets onto a computer's hard drive without the user's explicit and knowing agreement. In some cases, “permission” for spyware to install itself is buried deep in the small print of a licensing agreement. In other cases, permission is not given at all.
Once installed, the spyware secretly tracks the computer user's web browsing behavior, logs websites visited and passes this information on to advertisers – all with the consummate skill of a professional pickpocket. The computer then finds itself flooded with a torrent of irritating pop-up advertisements; pricelists, etc., broadly related to the user's browsing behavior. Hence the other name commonly given to spyware – “adware”. The user, meanwhile, remains oblivious to the fact that their machine has been infected. Pop-ups are a common feature of the electronic landscape, so it's not always obvious when spyware is to blame for their appearance.
Spyware usually gains access to a computer by camouflaging itself among other software (e.g. a free screensaver or a music file) which the user has agreed to download. Ironically, it's often concealed in downloadable software claimed to be “spywarefree” or “adware-free” – and even in many “anti-spyware” applications! As for the actual delivery mechanism, this may be an email attachment, but weblink/website downloads have increasingly become the spyware gangs' weapon of choice.
|
