Preying on fear and uncertainty
- TAGS:fear, miscreants, phishing, uncertainty
- IT TOPICS:Security
Look around...the economy is in shambles, layoffs are rampant and the general mood is fear and uncertainty. This is the perfect breeding ground for miscreants who prey upon fear and take advantage of it for their own personal gain. With layoffs escalating, the issue of insider threats takes on new dimension. As Robert McMillan points out in his article "With economic slump, concerns rise over data theft," there is a concern that laid-off workers could pose security threats to their former employers. While it is true that some (by no means all) former employees may have an axe to grind, it's also a fact that crime goes up during hard times.
This means extra security measures should be put in place and extra vigilance is paramount in all facets of IT security. And if threats from the inside aren't bad enough, phishing expeditions have persisted and are sure to continue to rise. At least some victims are fighting back and we’re seeing those that help phishers being held accountable. We haven't seen the last of these attacks and more needs to be done to protect unsuspecting users.
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