NEWS: Hackers Move to the Cloud
Internet Security News: Hackers Move to the Cloud
Earlier this week McAfee reported that malware has reached previously unheard of levels, with over 10 million new pieces of malware cataloged over the first half of this year.
Unfortunately, not only are hackers developing more and more new bits of malicious code, they’re also developing new ways to deliver them.
Late last month, database security company Imperva discovered a “master hacker” phishing attack that indicated the hackers has based their attack in the cloud.
The scheme essentially involved hackers taking advantage of other hackers, proving yet again that there’s no honor among thieves.
The “master” hackers would create a phishing kit and then post it online in hacker forums. The kit would provide all the necessary tools for lesser hackers to create fake websites and email spam campaigns that would then capture login credentials from victims.
While the hackers using the kit would capture a few hundred sets of credentials, the master hackers would reap even more profit. The attacks carried out by anyone using the phishing kit would generate thousands of login names and passwords.
The vast majority of these would transfer directly to the master hacker, leaving only the scraps for those who actually used the kit.
In terms of Internet security, the most frightening part of this scheme is the simple fact that the infrastructure for the attack will last forever.
In most phishing attack, the scam is brought to end when the server it originates form is taken down. Because this attack is based in the cloud, there is no such end in sight.
The master hackers do not actually do any of the attacking. They simply sit back and allow the other, lesser hackers to continually reuse the kit, making more and more fake web sites.
Even when one gets taken down, another will pop up, creating a never ending supply of stolen information funneled directly to the master hackers.
Clearly, current Internet security measures are not strong enough. With malware reaching epidemic proportions and hackers learning to use the cloud to their advantage, more and more innocent users can expect to be victimized.
Hopefully, as more and more of these attacks come to light, Internet security firms and typical users will learn to combat them in a meaningful way.
Until then, the Internet remains a place where trust is dangerous.
Just ask the hackers.
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