From social media abuse to mobile malware to major busts, 2011 was filled with new twists on old scams.
Continuing a major trend from 2010, malware is no longer being used just for the thrill of a takeover, or as a means of ripping off credit card numbers. Criminals are purposefully targeting enterprises in order to gain access to proprietary organizational assets. For instance, researchers found the “Duqu” Remote Access Trojan was built as a weapon for espionage and targeted attacks against certificate authorities (CAs). By gaining access to these CAs, cyber criminals then have the key to access vital data from enterprises through its infrastructure. Industries previously thought to be insulated from cyber threats, like CAs, have clearly been caught in the criminal crosshairs.