Cyber crooks on the prowl
While the problem of cyber criminality becomes omnipresent, the great majority of Polish companies are neglecting basic security procedures and doing little to protect themselves.
According to Virtual Criminology, a survey released recently by McAfee - a provider of intrusion prevention solutions - the number of security-related incidents reported around world grew at an unprecedented pace from only 300 a month in 2002 to 1,500 in 2004.
What's more, 70 percent of all viruses are tailor-made for the needs of specific groups. "The era of young hackers spreading viruses just for the sheer fun of it or in order to get noticed has ended," says Tomasz Zińko, McAfee country manager for Poland. "What we have to deal with now is organized virtual criminality, a real cyber mafia that takes over control of a company's IT system and can scan all kinds of data without the system administrator noticing anything."
Common cyber offences include hacking, spreading viruses, spying, blackmailing, 'phishing' (where hackers acquire sensitive information by using official looking means, such as an e-mail supposedly from a reputable company), and 'pump and dump' share scams, which are e-mails that push a stock or share in the financial interest of the sender.
In some countries such as the UK, France and the Netherlands, the authorities have already acknowledged the extent of the problem by creating special bodies whose aim is to fight virtual criminality.
In Poland not only there is no such organization, but also the problem is treated rather lightly on the companies' level. Ernst&Young's 2004 report on the security of information in Poland states that only 19 percent of interviewed companies treat IT security as a priority management issue and a mere 14 percent have an information security director.
What's more, as little as 23 percent would inform its business partners of IT security-related incidents that had occurred. When it comes to customers, only 21 percent of all Polish companies would dream of telling their clients about cyber offences committed on the firm's IT system. Currently, an investigation is being conducted aimed at identifying a group of hackers that broke into a number of bank accounts in Poland overcoming all security measures by way a simple virus. Approximately zł.1 million was stolen, possibly from more than one bank. The perpetrators might still be operating, no suspects were arrested and the police don't even know where the thieves come from.
Bank BPH is believed to be the main victim of this case although its spokesman, Jacek Balcer, explains that the size of the problem was blown out of proportion by the media. "No more than a dozen of our clients reported that money was missing from their accounts. It does not mean that the bank's security system was broken, but that some people accessed their accounts from unchecked, possibly unprotected computers, entering their login and password in a very carefree manner. They had their money reimbursed and an investigation is being conducted as to the potential cause of the problem." So next time, think twice before revealing your personal data to any institution.
According to Virtual Criminology, a survey released recently by McAfee - a provider of intrusion prevention solutions - the number of security-related incidents reported around world grew at an unprecedented pace from only 300 a month in 2002 to 1,500 in 2004.
What's more, 70 percent of all viruses are tailor-made for the needs of specific groups. "The era of young hackers spreading viruses just for the sheer fun of it or in order to get noticed has ended," says Tomasz Zińko, McAfee country manager for Poland. "What we have to deal with now is organized virtual criminality, a real cyber mafia that takes over control of a company's IT system and can scan all kinds of data without the system administrator noticing anything."
Common cyber offences include hacking, spreading viruses, spying, blackmailing, 'phishing' (where hackers acquire sensitive information by using official looking means, such as an e-mail supposedly from a reputable company), and 'pump and dump' share scams, which are e-mails that push a stock or share in the financial interest of the sender.
In some countries such as the UK, France and the Netherlands, the authorities have already acknowledged the extent of the problem by creating special bodies whose aim is to fight virtual criminality.
In Poland not only there is no such organization, but also the problem is treated rather lightly on the companies' level. Ernst&Young's 2004 report on the security of information in Poland states that only 19 percent of interviewed companies treat IT security as a priority management issue and a mere 14 percent have an information security director.
What's more, as little as 23 percent would inform its business partners of IT security-related incidents that had occurred. When it comes to customers, only 21 percent of all Polish companies would dream of telling their clients about cyber offences committed on the firm's IT system. Currently, an investigation is being conducted aimed at identifying a group of hackers that broke into a number of bank accounts in Poland overcoming all security measures by way a simple virus. Approximately zł.1 million was stolen, possibly from more than one bank. The perpetrators might still be operating, no suspects were arrested and the police don't even know where the thieves come from.
Bank BPH is believed to be the main victim of this case although its spokesman, Jacek Balcer, explains that the size of the problem was blown out of proportion by the media. "No more than a dozen of our clients reported that money was missing from their accounts. It does not mean that the bank's security system was broken, but that some people accessed their accounts from unchecked, possibly unprotected computers, entering their login and password in a very carefree manner. They had their money reimbursed and an investigation is being conducted as to the potential cause of the problem." So next time, think twice before revealing your personal data to any institution.
