FireEye Spots $20Bn Hole in IT Security Defenses

Traditional security is no match for today’s advanced targeted attacks aimed at stealing company’s sensitive data and intellectual property said FireEye, a leader in next generation threat protection, stopping advanced malware, zero-day, and targeted APT attacks that bypass traditional defenses.

In other words, attacks and malware are skyrocketing heralding an era that IT security threats have become increasingly complex, sophisticated and targeted, conducted over multiple threat vectors in combination and no organization is immune.

According to FireEye, although companies spend over $20 billion a year on next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, anti-virus, and gateways, yet still fall prey to APTs using sophisticated tactics, including advanced malware and zero-day exploits.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek recalled that Total Defense, also a global leader in malware detection and anti-crimeware solutions had reported that the AV-TEST Institute states that it now registers more than 200,000 new malicious programmes every day, with almost 100 million malicious programs seen in 2012—a number that has been increasing every year.

At the same time, the world is becoming increasingly interactive and collaborative, with real time communication among employees, customers and partners, using whatever device come to hand.

“Relying on traditional security measures to catch the bad guy in action or prevent being the victim of a breach doesn’t cut it in today’s threat landscape, and IT teams don’t have the time and resources to address each threat vector in isolation, nor should they have to. Integration, automation and flexibility are today’s security commandments maximizing resource and workforce efficiency and effectiveness without worrying the finance department,” Total Defense found.

Thus, FireEye reported to have developed a solution that plugs the hole that cybercriminals are using to infiltrate networks and steal data; exposes the entire cyber-attack lifecycle from initial exploit to data exfiltration and stops multi-vector attacks with a signature-less, real-time, integrated solution that can detect unknown threats across multiple threat vectors

The Company also reported that ninety-five percent of enterprises and government agencies have already been compromised.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek also recalled that a certain hacker has been on the neck of the Federal Government of Nigeria, compromising the nation’s official website and other government agencies’ websites.

Just as the Federal Ministry of Information at the weekend said it has regained control of the nation’s official website ‘Nigeria.gov.ng’ after it was hacked by a group of gay activists, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek learnt that as at Monday, the cyber terrorist was threatening to unleash further terror on the site. 

The national web portal was allegedly hacked by an Irish hacker who is angered by Nigeria’s stance on homosexuality. The act was an attempt to coerce President Goodluck Jonathan to veto a bill seeking to jail homosexuals.

In a statement signed by Joseph Mutah, press secretary to the Information minister on Friday, the ministry revealed that the same group was responsible for recent attacks on other countries’ official websites.

The attack, the ministry said, was meant as blackmail to pressure these countries into legalising gay activities.

Mutah stated that the Information Ministry is stepping up security on the web portal to prevent future attacks while liaising with security agencies to investigate the security breach.

He admonished those seeking to impose gay rights in the country to legally and constitutionally express their opinions as the Nigerian government will not condone any violation of the law in the name of activism.

Meanwhile, ‘Paddy Hack’, an Irish hacker who claimed responsibility for the attack on Nigeria’s official government threatened more attacks this week.

“A torrent of fury will be unleashed on Nigeria’s government due to the unfair and unjust treatment of homosexuals in their country,” the hacker threatened in a notice on @PaddyHack, the hacker’s handle on social media website Twitter.

 But federal ministry of Information said additional measures have been implemented in a bid to stem future attacks by hackers.