It seems that hardly a week goes by when computer viruses aren’t making headline news. The release of the SQL Slammer and Sobig worms last January, followed by the MSBlast.exe worm in August, graphically illustrate how the nature of these attacks is ever increasing. They also show that, although viruses have been around for over 20 years, computer users generally are still unable to ensure that they have enough immunity to resist infection. In fact, in many cases the computer world had weeks and sometimes months of advance warning about vulnerabilities, yet the latest attacks have caused havoc for companies and consumers worldwide. While virus code has always had some kind of nefarious intent, in 2003 the world was caught unawares by the virulence and effects of the new generation of viruses that have linked virus writers to organised crime and identity theft. This has been clearly demonstrated by the various mutations of the Sobig worm, with most experts in agreement that the spammers are casting a curious eye at the ease with which they can use viruses to hijack people’s computers to act as mail servers for spam. It seems that fortune rather than fame is becoming a prime motivator. The key questions being asked today are not just ‘how can I protect myself or my organisation?’, but ‘what’s the cost of being hit and recovering from it?’ Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.