Net users at home vulnerable to attacks

BANGALORE: Home-internet users are increasingly becoming vulnerable against online attackers. These attackers are looking at stealing identities or financially-motivated crimes, according to a report.

Symantec, provider of security solutions in its latest Internet Security Threat report has said, home users are less likely to have established security measures in place which makes them more vulnerable.

Further, attackers now use a variety of techniques to escape detection and prolong their presence to gain information for profit. Symantec said home users are the most targeted sector, accounting for 86% of all attacks, followed by financial services businesses.

It said there has been a shift in the threat landscape with lesser focus on network-based attacks of enterprises to now client side applications, web applications and its services. The report said vulnerabilities affecting web applications accounted for 69% in the first half of ’06.

Vulnerabilities in web browsers have also become prominent with 47 vulnerabilities documented in Mozilla browsers (compared to 17 in the last reporting period), 38 in Microsoft internet explorers (compared to 25).

Vishal Dhupar, MD, Symantec India, said, "Attackers see end users as the weakest link in the security chain and are constantly targeting them in an effort to profit."