Stealth attack by 'bot army'
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When it comes to security, no news is good news, or so it was thought.
When it comes to security, no news is good news, or so it was thought. In fact 'no news' is turning out to be something altogether more sinister in the world of IT security.
The latest analysis from security company Symantec indicates that the number of mass mailing worms has fallen significantly. But rather than being a cause for celebration, this drop in activity is actually an indicator that the threat from hackers has suddenly grown in severity, says Nigel Beighton, Symantec's director of enterprise strategy.
Most alarming is the number of machines being infected as part of a recruitment drive for a so-called 'bot army'. The machines typically lack adequate protection, and are then used by hackers as a launch pad for crime. The number of new infections rose from 2,000 machines per day in January 2004 to 30,000 by June.
And it may not be easy to spot an infected machine. "You can't judge the effectiveness of security by machines not working. These guys are now using stealth. They are committing serious criminal acts and don't want to be discovered," says Beighton, warning that many businesses are being compromised without realising it.
