Symantec Corp.’s latest Internet Security Threat Report revealed a 42-percent surge during 2012 in targeted attacks compared to the prior year. Designed to steal intellectual property, these targeted cyberespionage attacks are increasingly hitting the manufacturing sector as well as small businesses, which are the target of 31 percent of these attacks. Small businesses are attractive targets themselves and a way in to ultimately reach larger companies via “watering hole” techniques. In addition, consumers remain vulnerable to ransomware and mobile threats, particularly on the Android platform.
“Cybercriminals continue to devise new ways to steal information from organizations of all sizes, they are not slowing down. The sophistication of attacks coupled with today’s information technology complexities, such as virtualization, mobility and cloud, require organizations in the Philippines and globally to remain proactive and use ‘defense in depth’ security measures to stay ahead of cyber attacks,” said Luichi Robles, senior country manager of Symantec Philippines.