Surge in criminal-driven cyber attacks anticipated

IBM has published its 2005 Global Business Security Index report which looks at what business protection trends developed through and 2005 and how these may continue during 2006. Based on early indicators, IBM anticipates a fundamental shift in cyber crime from pervasive global outbreaks to smaller, stealthier attacks targeted at specific organisations for extortion purposes.

Continuity Central says according to the report, written by IBM`s Global Security Intelligence team, the global IT threat landscape spent the majority of 2005 at the medium level. The report includes an early view of other potential trends in 2006, such as insider attacks, emerging market attacks, blogging, instant messaging botnets and mobile malware.

Australian businesses must plan for an influenza pandemic because government planning fails to address serious threats to critical infrastructure facilities and technology networks, according to a report issued by the Australian Homeland Security Research Centre.

"If a pandemic occurs, the availability of communications and energy will be critical to slowing its spread," says centre executive director Athol Yates. "The Australian Action Plan mentions essential services, but it does not embrace all of the elements essential for the functioning of a modern, technology-intensive society," he told Australian IT.

"If an outbreak is not contained near its sources, the pandemic will probably sweep across the world, including Australia, within months or, at worst, within weeks. This near-simultaneous outbreak will mean that the resources of each state, region and city will be heavily taxed, with little possibility of resources being moved between regions," says Yates.