What is a targeted attack? Targeted attacks are aimed at one
person or a specific, small group of people. Back in the day,
virus writers were trying to spread their malware to as many
computer users as possible to make a name for themselves. But
today cybercriminals are largely driven by financial motives and
targeted assaults are replacing global widespread virus
outbreaks. A specific target Nowadays, cybercriminals choose
specific targets and create purpose-built malicious code which
is distributed to just a few selected individuals in order to
steal their personal and financial information. Today we see
waves of sophisticated, on-going attacks targeting corporate
executives and other high-level employees at a range of
companies. Targeted attacks often have in mind an organization
or a company, but attacks targeting ordinary citizens are also
on the rise. Targeted versions of phishing have been named
"spear phishing" and have become increasingly sophisticated.
E-mails typically start with real names and com