MX Logic, Inc. released cyber threat and managed services
predictions that will impact small, medium and large businesses in 2008.
“In 2007, cyber criminals have firmly established their
intentions to focus on Web 2.0 applications. This trend, coupled with the
increased complexity of combined threats that are distributed through botnets,
will reach critical mass in 2008,” said Sam Masiello, director of threat
management at MX Logic. “The monetary benefit criminals receive from their
malicious activity will force them to become more sophisticated in their
tactics. We see the ability for cyber threats to quickly morph as a catalyst
for the adoption of managed security services globally.”
MX LOGIC 2008 CYBER THREAT PREDICTIONS:
MX Logic threat research predicts an array of blended cyber
threats and tightly woven spam campaigns to dominate in 2008.
Web 2.0 Heightens Security Risk
Blogs, wikis and social networking sites not only make the
Internet a more interactive, enjoyable user experience but also provide a
breeding ground for security threats. Web 2.0 applications push code execution
to the browser, allowing cyber criminals to inject malcode onto a victim's PC.
These criminals are expected to seek ways to exploit social networking sites
such as Facebook and MySpace. The MX Logic threat research team is already
seeing instances of this new direction via blog spam and phishing, and predicts
information looting through interactive communities will become a common
practice in 2008 as cyber criminals continue to branch out and exploit
technologies.
Web Malware Closes Gap on Email Threats
The rise of Web-based services and applications is helping
pave the way for cyber criminals to exploit the Web browser. The Web browser is
an appealing alternative for cyber crooks to push malware through email because
it prompts the user to pull malware from a Web site. The social engineering
possibilities are countless, and vulnerabilities within Internet Explorer and
Firefox have contributed to a steady increase of cyber threats since 2004. The
MX Logic Threat Operations Center has recorded spikes in the number of
Web-based threats.
Targeted and Dangerous Social Engineering
MX Logic expects cyber crooks to continue to fine tune their
social engineering skills and targeting methods for spam attacks. Targeted spam
messages with infected payloads were sent to C-level executives purporting to
be from agencies like the Better Business Bureau and the Internal Revenue
Service. These messages are also expected to assume a more professional look
and feel and to be sent in small quantities that can fly under spam detection technology.
This approach contradicts the large, haphazard spam infiltration techniques of
the past.
Blended Threats are Gaining Momentum
A blended threat, which combines two malicious tactics, demonstrates
how malware distribution is a business model in the underground community.
With the changing landscape of cyber threats, managed
services are playing a role in preparing businesses to combat spam and other
malicious threats. Managed security services allow enterprises to save time and
money spent on researching, installing and maintaining security applications.
These services are evolving to the point where threats like the Storm Worm can
be addressed before they hit an organization’s network.
MX LOGIC 2008 MANAGED SERVICE PREDICTIONS:
“We will define 2007 as the year that managed services and
in particular, managed security services, have become a reality,” said Pete
Khanna, executive vice president, sales and support at MX Logic. “IT security
is critical to all businesses no matter the size or the market. In 2008, we will
see more vendors releasing managed security services and in turn creating a
more integrated service-set, allowing for greater adoption globally.”
Distributors to Play a Key Role
With the adoption rate of managed services by resellers and
solution providers on the rise, distributors will play a key role in driving
the implementation and acceptance of managed services in 2008 and beyond. As
leading distributors sell managed services, they will be the force behind
bundling different managed services offerings together to create valuable
integrated solutions. These solutions will provide convenient access to
multiple resources through one service provider while maintaining the benefit
of building new, recurring revenue streams for the channel.
Globalization of Managed Services
The same value proposition for managed services that has
taken hold in the U.S. will
be mirrored in Latin America, Asia and Europe.
The year 2008 will be defined by the evolving market opportunity around managed
services.
For updated information on these trends, or to learn more
about security research and opinions, please visit the MX Logic Threat Blog at http://www.mxlogic.com/threat_center/threatblog.cfm.