Cyber attacks target small businesses

Cape Town - There has been a 42% increase in the number of cyber attacks in 2012, particularly in the manufacturing and small business sector, according to Symantec's latest Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR).

“This year’s ISTR shows that cybercriminals aren’t slowing down, and they continue to devise new ways to steal information from organisations of all sizes,” Sheldon Hand, territory manager of Symantec told Gadget.

“The sophistication of attacks coupled with today’s IT complexities, such as virtualisation, mobility and cloud, require organisations to remain proactive and use ‘defense in depth’ security measures to stay ahead of attacks,” he said.

The ISTR also highlighted that these attacks targeted businesses with 250 employees and these attacks continue to grow, with 31% of all attacks targeting small businesses. The report adds that cybercriminals targeted small businesses because they often "lack adequate security practices and infrastructure."

Attacks on the manufacturing sector also increased in 2012, often targeting companies in the supply chain and gaining access to sensitive information of bigger companies.

The ISTR also noted that in 2012 mobile malware increased by 58%, with 32% of all mobile threats an attempt to steal information such as e-mail address and phone numbers.