With Microsoft Patched, Hackers Turning Elsewhere
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James Joyner | Monday, May 2, 2005 |
More hacking targets iTunes, antivirus wares (CNET)
Online criminals turned their attention to antivirus software and media players like Apple Computer’s iTunes in the first three months of 2005, as they sought new ways to take control of peoples’ computers, according to a survey released Monday. Hackers continued to poke new holes in Microsoft’s popular Windows operating system, but they increasingly exploited flaws in software made by other companies as well, the nonprofit SANS Institute found.
As more Windows users agreed to receive security upgrades automatically, hackers looked to take advantage of other software programs that might not be patched as frequently, according to the leader of the cybersecurity training and research organization. “Operating systems have gotten better at finding and fixing things and auto-updating, so it’s less fertile territory for the hackers,” said SANS Chief Executive Alan Paller.
Malicious hackers exploit security holes to lift credit card numbers and other sensitive personal information from PCs, and they commandeer computers to send out spam and pornography.
Damn that Bill Gates for fixing his software!
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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If hackers' new targets are wise, they will fix weaknesses quickly, not wait months or years as did Microsoft. With the complexity of today's software, flaws are certain to crop up even in Microsoft. Not correcting them promptly, however, is inexcusable and possible only when one controls the large market share Microsoft has.
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