COMMERCE ? In a study just released, Nuspire Networks contends network reconnaissance is on the rise, growing more pervasive and potentially damaging than the threat of computer viruses.
The study finds that port scanning incidents at remote locations and branch office environments have risen nearly 40 percent from one month to the next. Port scanning is a technique designed to probe a network host for open ports or connections. When a weakness is identified, it can be exploited and leads to sensitive information falling into the hands of those who intend on using it for criminal activity, the company said in a press release.
The study also found that cases of automated credential guessing have more than doubled over the same timeframe. This is a vulnerability faced by businesses that use web-based applications requiring unique log-ins. Automated credential guessing is a malicious attack in which the perpetrator uses software to guess log-in credentials of users and can inherit user specific privileges to the system, based on the identity established by the supplied credentials.
Nuspire Networks? research group ?White Hat Labs? based the survey on a large group of Fortune 500 companies. Findings show that while most companies place security emphasis on computer viruses, trojans and worms, security breaches as a result of viruses account for less than one percent of incidents. Port scanning and automated credential guessing are by far the most prevalent types of IT network security breaches among remote locations and branch offices. This is even more critical in distributed networks where remote locations hold credit carddata and other sensitive information. Remote locations typically do not have the level of security oversight and resources as a large, centralized corporate network location to combat these threats.
?It?s common sense that leaving a door or window open in your household compromises overall security. Weak passwords and logins introduce a potential vulnerability to the business enterprise,? notes Tim Gallagher, Nuspire Networks Senior Security Analyst. ?Our recommendation to businesses is to apply the appropriate IT security protocols and technology that mitigate the risk of network vulnerabilities.?
