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. 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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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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. Remote locations typically do not have the level of security oversight and resources as a large, centralized corporate network location to combat these threats.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOur recommendation to businesses is to apply the appropriate IT security protocols and technology that mitigate the risk of network vulnerabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n