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Top 3 Web Security Issues Of 2013

As internet technology advances at astonishing speeds, issues of web security are also keeping pace. The U.S. government crime data report reveals that theft of digital information has passed physical property theft when it comes to the most reported kinds of business fraud.

top 3

New developments, such as social media networks, have further added to the problem. Online privacy expert Bob Sullivan said that 1 in 5 internet users have been a victim of a social media or email hijack. He also says that we’ve left ‘breadcrumbs’ behind that we must make efforts to trace.

Some of the web security issues for the year in progress include:

1. Ransomware

For those who are unaware, Ransomware is a software threat that can hack into your computer and make it useless by locking it down until an amount/ ransom is paid. Cybercriminals behind this attack usually attach a message from a federal agency (FBI etc.). It makes the victim believe they have done something illegal and are accountable to pay a fine.

Ransomware attackers are also resorting to multiple means of collecting ransom. They give options to pay the ransom through SMS, wire-transfer, phone calls and other payment methods. Recently, they have begun using prepaid card payments, which minimizes their risks.

The threat actually relies on the same properties that other types of malware use (downloaders, torjan horses). Antivirus tools can prevent you from being a victim of ransomware. This is because most of them are designed to dig deep into embedded security threats and remove them.

2. DDoS attacks

DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service attacks have been a common occurrence in web security headlines over the last couple of years. The attack is essentially used to deny users access to a legitimate online service. The service denied access can be a social network, a MMO gaming network, a SaaS app, an e-commerce site or even a VoIP platform.

The individuals behind the attack leverage CPU resources (made by themselves or comprised web hosts) to send fake traffic to an online service. This makes the site/service exceed its bandwidth limit and prevents normal users from being served.

CEO CloudFlare Matthew Prince talks about the techniques and tools that can be used against massive DDoS attacks. Cloud providers offer protection; they have a team of researchers who search and monitor the latest DDoS trends and tactics. Multiple filtering layers and propriety technology is applied to stay in line with the latest security threats.

3. APT attacks

APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats) are targeted both at high-profile corporations and government organizations. The threat gives access to an unauthorized person on a network. The goal is to maintain frequent access by rewriting codes frequently and deploying evasion techniques. This enables the intruder to gain access to highly confidential information.

Moreover, the threats not only attack commonly used programs, but can also target embedded vectors. They mostly target irregular patterns in network traffic through a method called ‘spear fishing’. After successfully gaining credentials, the intruder creates a bogus infrastructure to remain invisible when injecting malware.

Full time administrator(s) might be required to discover APTs and other online threats. They should keep a lookout for irregularities in outbound data – a sign that a network has been hit by APT.

Have you ever been a victim of an internet attack? What security measures did you adopt? Feel free to share your thoughts.

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3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Gouri Shanker

    October 15, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Thanks for sharing such a awesome article. In my views 3 security issues that you had shared are very good and will help me a lot. I liked your article very much.
    Once again thanks for sharing.

  2. Stephan

    October 15, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    Such a nice post.
    I think that gonna help a lot of user who want to protect their computer effectively.
    Thanks for your sharing.

    Stephan

  3. Gautam

    October 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    DDOs attacks have just ruined my sites Even google got attacked from that.These are really serious issues.

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