Cybercrime And Security In 2010

SC Magazine recently published an article compiling lists that highlights this year’s most notable security and cybercrime incidents. Their lists range from Top Notable Breaches to Top Cybercrime Busts and Top Notable Vulnerabilities.

One of the scariest lists they had was the Top 5 Notable Breaches and the number of records that were exposed. This is a list that should really make you think the next time you give any personal information to a company. What scares us the most is the fact that these are not small businesses, these are big companies that should have plenty of security measures on their network to keep their data safe. Here’s the list:

1. AvMed Health Plans: 1.2 million records exposed
2. Lincoln National Financial Securities: 1.2 million records exposed
3. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: 1 million records exposed
4. South Shore Hospital: 800,000 records exposed
5. AT&T (iPad exposure): 114,000 records exposed

Another list that should be read is the Top 5 Threats list. It will show you the range of targets and creativity of cyber criminals, targeting anyone from an individual email account and a small business to major high-profile websites. Here are the top 5:

1. Stuxnet: Numerous SCADA systems reported being hit by the AutoRun-spreading worm, but only two sites – both in Iran – reported damage.
2. Aurora: Google, in a much-heralded act of transparency, disclosed that its corporate systems were infiltrated by savvy cyberspies, believed to be operating out of China. Some 30 other high-profile companies also were targets.
3. Zeus: The repulsive malware extended its masterful ambush on mostly small and midsize businesses to steal banking credentials and dump out hundreds of thousands of dollars from legitimate accounts into those belonging to so-called money mules.
4. Here you have: In a year dominated by threat sophistication, a rapidly spreading email worm, traced back to a cyber-jihad group, did little damage but clog inboxes impacted corporations across the country.
5. Iranian Cyber Army: The hacker group responsible for defacement attacks against Twitter and Baidu appears to be adjusting its modus operandi to amass a mighty botnet. Researchers have traced exploits discovered on legitimate websites back to the gang.

This is definitely an article worth reading for any individual or enterprise who is concerned about Internet security, or maybe even more so for someone who is not concerned. It will show how many threats are actually out there and how many ways you can unwittingly invite them in.

To read the full article, go to: http://www.scmagazineus.com/it-security-in-2010-the-year-in-lists/article/191807/.

Many of this year’s cybercrimes could have been averted if companies took greater measures to ensure the safety of their customers’ information as well as their own data. One easy way to ensure secure online transactions is by using a secure browser. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware and makes sure that the endpoint data stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.