“In the last few months we have seen an increase in the number
of reported computer and network attacks. Most of these have been
high-profile attacks, such as the ‘I Love You’ email virus and
February’s series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
against major Web sites. Many companies and universities
unwittingly took part in the DDoS attacks: attackers were able to
plant ‘zombie’ programs on computers at these institutions, which
served essentially as robotic artillery units during the attack.
Partly as a result of this recent hacker activity, network security
has become a major focus for the corporate IT world.”
“What has so far gone largely unnoticed is that security is no
longer something that must be considered on the corporate level.
There has been a huge rise in the number of digital subscriber line
(DSL) and cable Internet connections to private homes. These
‘always on,’ high-speed connections to the information superhighway
now give home users the same abilities-but also the same
responsibilities and liabilities-as any major corporation on the
Internet. Home users must now effectively become their own
Information Security department….”
“If you don’t take an active part in securing your home
network, then you’re at risk. Don’t dismiss the likelihood of a
stranger accessing your computers. If you have a high-speed
connection to the Internet, then you’re probably scanned for common
vulnerabilities much more frequently than you would expect. If
you’re still on an old clunky analog connection, don?t think you?re
not at risk either. You may not be targeted as frequently, but if
an attacker has reason to believe you have something of value, she
will take the time to target you.”