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Cosc 4765. SOPHOS Security Threat report about 2013 (and predictions for 2014). Side note. Independent test lab AV-Test, discovers it’s 50 millionth virus/malware (Jan 26, 2011) 220,000 new malware each day 9,166 every hour or 152 every minute or about 2.5 every second. History:
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Cosc 4765 SOPHOS Security Threat report about 2013 (and predictions for 2014)
Side note • Independent test lab AV-Test, • discovers it’s 50 millionth virus/malware (Jan 26, 2011) • 220,000 new malware each day • 9,166 every hour or 152 every minute or about 2.5 every second. • History: • 1985: 553 different viruses • 2000: 176,312 • 2006: about 1 million • 2010: about 20 million new malware variants • 2013: about 83 million new malware variants • Source: http://www.av-test.org/
A bad day comes. • April 8, 2014 • The end security updates for • Windows XP • Office 2003 • What dangerous “zero-day-forever” attacks may follow it.
Botnets Grow in Size & Stealth • In the past 12 months, infected networks of computers called botnets have become more widespread, resilient and camouflaged—and they’re spreading dangerous new payloads like the nasty Cryptolockerransomware. • Zeus source, leads to Gameover • Which has a P2P Command&Control structure • ZeroAccess Botnet • In least than 2 weeks, undoes all the countermeasures by antivirus companies. • Watch: Cryptolocker in Action
Botnets Grow in Size & Stealth (2) • Ransomware has become more common, because fake AV and alert scams are now failing. • Banking malware • Carberpsteals over $250 million! • Malware like shylock/caphaw botnets targets customers of Barclays, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, and Wells Fargo.
Botnets Grow in Size & Stealth (3) • More use of the “Darknet” • Hidden networks such as Tor that are designed to resist surveillance. • Wikileaks and many people use it to protect sources. • Botnet C&C servers are hidden in the Tor network as well.
Botnet Bitcoin Mining • The masters of the ZeroAccess botnet for a short time in 2013 used its computing power to create (or mine) bitcoins, the virtual currency. • Back Channels and Bitcoins: ZeroAccess' Secret C&C Communications
Spam Reinvents Itself. • From penny stock pump-and-dump schemes to natural weight loss scams, some spam just never goes away. In 2013, distributed networks of servers helped keep spam under the radar of filters, a technique called “snowshoe spamming.” • Distribute the load across a large area (botnet), so they don’t sink like snow shoes. • Uses many IPs so it harder to filter spam out.
Android Malware • Android malware continues to grow and evolve. • The Android Market place is an “open place” • Watch those permissions when installing. • Does the facebook app really need all these permissions? • Call phone number, read your text messages, record audio, full location services, read/write contacts, read/write call log • Add/modify calendar events, Read confidential information • “send email to guest without owners’ knowledge” • Read/Modify/delete the content of USB storage • Add/remove accounts, find accounts on the device • Change network connectivity, connect/disconnect wifi, download files without notification • Retrieve and Reorder running apps • Draw over other apps, prevent phone from sleeping, control vibration, change audio settings, read and change sync settings, expand/collapse status bar • And last install shortcuts and send “sticky broadcasts”. • https://www.facebook.com/help/210676372433246
Android Malware (2) • Ransomware: • for the first time in 2013 began infecting smartphones and other Android devices. • Botnets, mostly in China • Send premium SMS messages that charge the user. • GinMaster: A Case Study in Android Malware
Windows: The Growing Risk of Unpatched Systems • The two known big ones are WinXP and Office2010. • Here the real issue, because it’s not your PC. • All though 31% of all PCs are running winXP. • There are millions of Point of Sale devices (POS) • Running WinXP, some still running Win2K. • These handle Credit card information! • And a really scarey note, many medical devices are WinXP as well….
Windows: The Growing Risk of Unpatched Systems (2) • So Win8/7/Vista are not new code. • A vulnerability in one those will point to a now (possible) unpatched vulnerability in WinXP.
Web-Based Malware • dangerous, difficult-to-detect web server attacks by Darkleech and exploit kits like Redkit have been responsible for more drive-by download attacks against vulnerable web users. • DarkLeech compromised over 40K domains • Delivered ransomware and other malware to users. • Mostly in “drive-by attacks” • 93% of infected sites were running Apache.
Web-Based Malware (2) • Using kits (such as Blackholeand others) • Attacking Java, Adobe PDF and Flash • Other third party plugins. • Stopping most “drive by-attacks”. • Plugins like no-script help, since no javascript, no java, no nothing. Back to the “stone age” of browsers. • Unless there is an exploit in the browser itself of course.
Web-Based Malware • Malware 101: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1U9_s7j4Hg • About an hour long video for beginning on how malware works and spreads.
Threats to Your Financial Account • We are seeing more advanced persistent threats (APTs)—persistent, targeted, hard-to-detect attacks—aimed at compromising financial accounts. • What is APTs? Watch: APTs
Threats to Mac OS X • Mac malware is becoming more widespread, with new versions of Mac Trojans, adware and ransomware emerging in 2013. • And like Windows, a number of still common version of the Mac OS X are no longer receiving security updates.
Threats to linux growing • Why? • Linux servers are widely used to run websites and deliver web content, making them and the software running on them prime targets of attack. • IE, it’s all about deliverables.
Trends to watch for in 2014 • Attacks on corporate and personal data in the cloud • More complex Android malware • Going after person data and financial data on phones! • Attempts to spread via social networks as well. • 64bit only malware. • At least it won’t work on 32bit OSs.
Trends to watch for in 2014 (2) • Hacking Everything • Attacks will continue to increase, but not to critical levels in 2014. • Infrastructure • “Internet of Things” • From thermostats, network printers, and anything connected to the network.
References • http://www.sophos.com/en-us/threat-center/security-threat-report.aspx?utm_source=Non-Campaign&utm_medium=AdWords&utm_campaign=NA-AW-GB-Security-Threat-Report&utm_content=Security-Threat-Report&utm_term=sophos%20security%20threat%20report • http://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-news-trends/security-trends/network-security-top-trends.aspx
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