Targeted Cyber Attacks on the Rise - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Chronicle, By David Baker

All companies have to fend off the viruses and malware floating around the modern Internet. But a growing number face much more targeted attacks, in which hackers take aim squarely at them.

Twelve percent of companies participating in an annual cyber-security survey from Kaspersky Lab and B2B International reported experiencing a targeted attack during the last year. That’s up from 9 percent in 2013.

While not every targeted attack succeeds, many do. The average financial loss experienced by large companies following an attack was $720,000. And that pales in comparison to some of the more spectacular recent hacks aimed at companies including Target, whose costs related to last year’s data breach have topped $236 million.

Christopher Doggett, managing director of North American operations for the Kaspersky security firm, said attacks directed at specific businesses can be difficult to block. The key lies in trying to make entry into a company’s systems as tough as possible and setting up multiple layers of security to catch intruders who have breached the outer defenses.

“Most of these guys have an almost limitless toolkit of techniques they can use,” Doggett said. “As long as they’re persistent, they’ll find a way in. If they come up against something too difficult, they’ll move on to the next target.” Read more.