Hacking gains momentum
Steven Hinde · Computer Fraud & Security · 2004
According to Symantec an estimated 40% of the world's large companies had their IT infrastructure compromised by computer viruses and worms during the first half of this year. The report also found that compromised systems were used by hackers to launch attacks against new targets. This rise reflects a trend away from hacking as an ego trip and gaining notoriety towards a motivation of financial gain. The for profit hacker armoury includes phishing, which entails tricking the recipient into divulging personal and financial details including passwords, spyware, which records the target's on-line activities and Trojans, which trick users into letting a virus bury itself into their computers and then communicate with criminals.