Launching widespread attacks on networked computers used to be a task reserved for a rare few hackers – those with an extensive knowledge of programming. This is no longer the case. The advent of attack toolkits has lowered the bar significantly, opening the doors for anyone with a basic understanding of networking and computers to produce threats that exploit vulnerabilities. These toolkits are used to enable the theft of sensitive information or to convert compromised computers into a network of botnets in order to mount additional attacks. They are advertised and sold in the online underground economy. There is even a magazine called Hacker which speaks directly into the weaknesses that allow the exploitation softwares. Attack kits play a significant role in the continuing evolution of cybercrime into a self-sustaining, profitable, and increasingly organized economic model worth millions of dollars. |
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