Botnets are large networks of systems or devices which have had their system security compromised and in turn can be used to do the cyber-bidding of an outside attacker, almost always without the system’s or device’s user ever even knowing it’s going on. Global Digital Forensics offers clients deep analysis malware testing to help uncover and eradicate the underlying Trojans and rootkits that let hackers enslave their many victims.
As technology evolves and more people all over the world dive into the deep end of the pool as far as their reliance on being “plugged in” to a more digital lifestyle, the resources, and targets, available to hackers escalate in lock-step,
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 25, 2013
With last week’s crackdown by Polish authorities on .pl domain names being used by the Virut botnet, estimated to be over 300,000 compromised machines strong, and the report earlier this month of a smartphone botnet in China over a million strong fueled by infected third party apps, US corporations and businesses must always be alert to the fact that the cyber threats they face can take on global proportions, from DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service), to spam blasts and massive phishing expeditions. Just one or a few hackers can have vast armies at their disposal at will, allowing them to carry out all kinds of nefarious activities. Uncovering the Trojans and rootkits which allow for this kind of long term “enslavement” is a vital piece of the constantly evolving cyber security puzzle which Global Digital Forensics helps clients solve.
“Botnets are not new, nor are they confined to far away places. As technology evolves and more people all over the world dive into the deep end of the pool as far as their reliance on being “plugged in” to a more digital lifestyle, the resources, and targets, available to hackers escalate in lock-step, ” said Joe Caruso, founder and CEO/CTO of Global Digital Forensics. “And since the Internet knows no bounds, that means more “stolen” computing power from more areas of the globe than ever before can be focused on whatever target or targets the bad guys choose.”
How big are Botnets and What can They Do?
“There are botnets out there controlling multi-millions of “zombie” machines, just look at the not-so-distant past with botnets like Conficker, ZeroAccess and Grum, getting exposed. Huge portions of the world’s spam is pushed through botnets, but they can also be employed to more sinister ends, like DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service) on vital systems, and malicious payloads of all types, from spyware to viruses. And to make matters worse, sometimes they just rent out their botnet power to others willing to pay the fee, and I tend to doubt clean background checks are required to do business. So now you have an individual or group somewhere on the planet with access straight into infected machines everywhere, from the smallest homes to the most powerful corporations, adding the insult of making you unknowingly complicit in their malicious activities. How’s that for something to think about when your system seems to come alive and the drive spins up while you’re having lunch at your desk or the home system spins up in the middle of the night.”
Are US Corporations at Risk?
“Botnets are getting more vicious every year, and that’s due to a couple of factors. First, our reliance on digital information is by no means diminishing, it’s still exploding, with more PII (Personally Identifiable Information) stored in more locations than ever. And for many corporations, some of their most business-critical IP (Intellectual Property) only exist in digital form. The second big factor is technology itself, with social networking, smartphones, and tablets blurring the lines between work and play as more organizations implement BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)policies, and with malicious payloads jumping between digital devices like some kind of cyber version of a cross-species flu, in-depth professional scanning and testing at regular intervals to uncover the nasty Trojans and rootkits which setup and run the show has never been more important.”
How can Global Digital Forensics Help?
“We’ve been in the cyber security game for a long time,” said Caruso. “Over that time we have forged alliances and partnership with industry leaders over a broad spectrum of the cyber security world, and that puts a lot of power in our arsenal, from deep analysis of content, decoding payloads, capturing packets and controlling channels to identify and flush out the bugs, to full DDoS protection solutions. And because of our experience with a diverse range of clients and wide array of threat verticals, we know how to assess the unique digital architecture of organizations of any size and use the right tools and procedures to get the job done right, wherever the trail may lead.”
*Global Digital Forensics is a recognized industry leader in the fields of cyber security and emergency incident response, with years of experience assisting clients in the government, banking, healthcare, education and corporate arenas. For a free consultation with a Global Digital Forensics specialist, call 1-800-868-8189 about tailoring a plan which will meet your unique needs. Emergency responders are also standing by 24/7 to handle intrusion and data breach emergencies whenever and wherever they arise. Don’t hesitate to get help if an incident has already happened. For more information, visit http://www.evestigate.com.