China, Are they engaged in a cyber-warfare?
The reports continue to pour in regarding China's alleged involvement in cyber-attacks on the United States. Although disputed by many as inconclusive, McAfee released findings that suggested that China has been systematically targeting U.S. businesses and major defense contractors. The systematic attacks, dubbed "Operation Shady RAT" is believed to have been initiated and sactioned from China.
In a article by Homeland Security Newswire, Dmitri Alperovitch, McAfee's vice president of threat research, is cited as saying how the company was surprised by how many different computer networks had been hacked. Kaspersky, Symantec and Dell Secure Works conclude that the attack was not sophisticated and has a very low proliferation rate - pointing to something other than a sponsored cyber-attack.
Although details regarding the attack are sketchy one this is for sure, cyber-attacks are on the rise. It is critical as for both business and personal users to take certain precautions to prevent as much exposure as possible.
- Keep your computer equipment patched with the latest security fixes available.
- Keep your Anti-virus program as well as the virus definitions current.
- Be cautious as you surf the internet. The internet is full of sites designed to exploit vulnerabilities.
- Be cautious of email attachments
- Watch for fake emails that prompt you to provide username and password credentials. This type of attack, called 'phishing' is very common and at times very effective in getting personal information.
