Hackers shift their focus to apps

Printable View

November 29th, 2005, 11:41 AM
jdenny

Hackers shift their focus to apps

Quote:

NEW YORK - As people heed warnings to install the latest security updates for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating systems and Internet Explorer browsers, researchers say hackers have been shifting their focus to applications that are harder to protect.
The SANS Institute's annual list of top Internet security threats includes a separate category for "cross-platform applications" for the first time.
Data-backup programs, media players and anti-virus software were added to the list, joining instant messaging and file-sharing applications before listed under Windows threats.

Full article here.

Quote:

This SANS Top-20 2005 is a marked deviation from the previous Top-20 lists. In addition to Windows and UNIX categories, we have also included Cross-Platform Applications and Networking Products. The change reflects the dynamic nature of the evolving threat landscape and the vulnerabilities that attackers target. Unlike the previous Top-20 lists, this list is not "cumulative" in nature. We have only listed critical vulnerabilities from the past year and a half or so. If you have not patched your systems for a length of time, it is highly recommended that you first patch the vulnerabilities listed in the Top-20 2004 list.

SANS Top-20 2005

So if you're running popular software packages, stay alert...

Peace always,
<jdenny>
November 29th, 2005, 03:07 PM
MrBabis

hmmm.... yahoo removed it or changed adress..

Quote:

Sorry, the page you requested was not found.

...ouch

Bugs was always "easy" used by others.
And by old viruses that was recompiled, re/packed or modifed, becouse AV's using signatures and if signatures was changed it creates way around AV.
November 29th, 2005, 03:52 PM
jdenny

Sorry but it's really weird. I tried the link I posted but couldn't get the page either. I'm sure I copied the exact URL.

Try this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051123/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Or I'd just copy the entire article, it's not that long...

Quote:

Security Threats Shift to Applications

By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer Tue Nov 22, 9:08 PM ET

NEW YORK - As people heed warnings to install the latest security updates for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating systems and Internet Explorer browsers, researchers say hackers have been shifting their focus to applications that are harder to protect.

The SANS Institute's annual list of top Internet security threats includes a separate category for "cross-platform applications" for the first time.

Data-backup programs, media players and anti-virus software were added to the list, joining instant messaging and file-sharing applications before listed under Windows threats.

Most of these programs lack auto-updating mechanisms now available to automatically take care of the Microsoft threats, setting the state of security back five or six years, said Alan Paller, director of research as SANS, a security training and research organization.

Backup programs are of particular concern because they are used by businesses to duplicate the most sensitive data, such as financial and hospital records, Paller said.

SANS considers the list — at http://www.sans.org/top20 — a consensus among security professionals of the vulnerabilities that require immediate attention.

Anyway, as I wrote this and think about popular software packages, the "unbreakable" software comes to mind... :)

Peace always,
<jdenny>