6 things you didn’t know about hackers
With cyber crime causing average annual losses to companies worldwide of over $7.7 million according to a study by the Ponemon Institute, it’s no wonder more and more organisations are prioritising online security. By taking advantage of the latest technology such as dedicated servers and implementing best practices like having a strong password policy, businesses can protect their most valuable information or at least reduce the impact of a data breach. But what about the online offenders actually carrying out these malicious and unlawful acts? Here are six things you didn’t know about hackers.
Nearly half of hackers are located in the Asia-Pacific region
Even though hackers are located all over the world, online payments company Jumio says that nearly half of all cyber attacks come from the Asia-Pacific region, more specifically China and Indonesia. The servers that store the illegal code of hackers are also found in China as well as Russia. As for their gender and age, most hackers are male, between 29 and 49 years old.
Most hackers do not work alone
What picture of a hacker do you paint in your mind? Most people will imagine a solitary recluse in their bedroom, but in reality most hackers work in groups, half of which have six members or more. This is because cyber crime has become an increasingly sophisticated task, where hacking groups almost mimic the company they are targeting. A vast network of suppliers and resources, including freelance hackers and malware marketplaces, also support criminal groups.
Several of the FBI’s Most Wanted are hackers
Previously reserved for notorious gangsters and criminals, the FBI’s Most Wanted list is now littered with hackers. Top of the list you will find Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, who is wanted for, “his alleged involvement in a wide-ranging racketeering enterprise and scheme that installed, without authorisation, malicious software known as ‘Zeus’ on victims’ computers.” A reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bogachev is currently on offer.
Most hackers preferred method of manipulation is social engineering
Social engineering refers to psychologically manipulating people into divulging confidential information. This is of particular interest to hackers, as people are seen as the weakest link in terms of cyber security. The spear phishing technique (when an email appears to be from a trusted source but is in fact malicious) accounts for 91 per cent of all online attacks.
The majority of money hackers steal is never recovered
A global study of organisations found that the average time to detect a malicious or criminal attack was 170 days. But while this is bound to be a big concern for many businesses, the fact that 68 per cent of losses were never recovered will come as an even bigger shock and potentially have larger financial implications for the future.
Most hackers claim they are ‘hacktivists’
Some cyber criminals are only interested in making money, but most hackers actually want to promote a political agenda with their subversive use of computer networks. As a matter of fact, ‘hacktivism’ is the main motivation that drives cyber attacks, which are often related to things like free speech, human rights, or freedom of information.
Category: Sci Tech
