London: Commenting on predictions that the volume of hacking attempts will top the billion mark in the final quarter of this year, the organisers of Infosecurity Europe say that it is imperative that IT security professionals remain up to speed on the latest threats – and the solutions to defend against them.
According to David Rowe, CISSP, a member of the Infosecurity Europe Advisory Council and Head of Business Services for Reed Exhibitions - the organisers of Infosecurity Europe – the hacking incursions reported over the last 12 months bear witness to the fact that cybercriminal attacks on corporate websites has become both commonplace and potentially devastating.
“A quick glance at the news pages of the leading industry news service Infosecurity-magazine.com reveals the almost daily reports of organisations whose websites, servers and systems are being hit by invasive hacking attacks, as well as distributed-denial-of-service aggression,” he said.
“This is why our continuing aim with Infosecurity Europe - the next event in the annual series of which will be held in London on April 23/25 next spring - is to create a strong framework for the education and exchange of information between like-minded IT security professionals. This is supported by an unrivalled education programme that continues to be offered free of charge,” he added.
Rowe went on to say that the key take-out from the NCC Group `Origin of Hacks’ report is that cybercriminal attacks show no sign of abating after consecutive quarters of growth.
The geographic origin of the hacking attacks, he says, also highlights the changing face of online cybercriminal aggression with 20% of attacks originating from the United States – but a soaring rampage of attacks being generated by China and Russian cybercriminal gangs.
We know from previous IT security reports, he adds, that the cybercriminal coding gangs behind credential-stealing malware such as Zeus and SpyEye are based in Russia, whilst many paralysing DDoS attacks on government systems have been traced back to China.
“As this report notes, there is a rising awareness amongst IT professionals of the problems these attacks create, but it is clear that the issue still needs a wider audience, which is why we continue to invest in the Infosecurity Europe education programme,” he said.
“Next April’s programme will centre on the Keynote, Business Strategy and Technical Theatres - backed up with an Information Security Exchange, Workshops and Technology Showcase - and rounded out by the ever-popular Infosecurity Hall of Fame,” he added.