It helps to understand more about the history of hacking, when you need to defend yourself or your organization against cybercrime.
Here is your Executive Summary:
Early hacking started when guys like Kevin Mitnick became ‘digital delinquents’ and broke into the phone company networks. That was to a large degree to see how far they could get with social engineering, and it got them way further than expected. Actual financial damage, cyberheists, to hundreds of thousands of businesses started only in the nineties, but has moved at rocket speed these last 20 years.
1. Generation One: This consisted primarily of teens who wrote viruses to gain notoriety and show off their skills. Their efforts were sometimes referred to as “sneaker-net” viruses, as they had to be physically transferred from one system to another via a floppy disk or other removable media.
2. Generation Two: In this generation, sneaker-net viruses gave way to malicious worms that were able to spread quickly and create significant financial losses for companies. But the perpetrators were still generally teens and 20-somethings attempting to demonstrate their advanced skills.
3. Generation Three: At this stage, cybercriminals began using viruses and hacks for financial gain rather than notoriety. By way of botnets, they were able to control thousands of infected computers to send spam, steal account passwords and attack websites. However, IT specialists were usually able to find and eliminate the malware fairly easily.
4. Generation Four: This is when cybercrime went professional, with organized crime syndicates in Eastern Europe supporting the development of advanced malware and “rootkits” that are able to hide their presence and avoid detection. To achieve bigger payouts, cybercriminals started going after larger targets; and established mafia began muscling in on the game.
5. Generation Five: In this current generation, cybercrime has become an enterprise with a thriving underground economy. Aspiring cybercriminals don’t even have to develop their own code; they can rent botnets by the hour and purchase licensed malware that comes with its own tech support. As a result, cybercrime is developing and spreading faster than ever.
Early hacking started when guys like Kevin Mitnick became ‘digital delinquents’ and broke into the phone company networks. That was to a large degree to see how far they could get with social engineering, and it got them way further than expected. Actual financial damage, cyberheists, to hundreds of thousands of businesses started only in the nineties, but has moved at rocket speed these last 20 years.
1. Generation One: This consisted primarily of teens who wrote viruses to gain notoriety and show off their skills. Their efforts were sometimes referred to as “sneaker-net” viruses, as they had to be physically transferred from one system to another via a floppy disk or other removable media.
2. Generation Two: In this generation, sneaker-net viruses gave way to malicious worms that were able to spread quickly and create significant financial losses for companies. But the perpetrators were still generally teens and 20-somethings attempting to demonstrate their advanced skills.
3. Generation Three: At this stage, cybercriminals began using viruses and hacks for financial gain rather than notoriety. By way of botnets, they were able to control thousands of infected computers to send spam, steal account passwords and attack websites. However, IT specialists were usually able to find and eliminate the malware fairly easily.
4. Generation Four: This is when cybercrime went professional, with organized crime syndicates in Eastern Europe supporting the development of advanced malware and “rootkits” that are able to hide their presence and avoid detection. To achieve bigger payouts, cybercriminals started going after larger targets; and established mafia began muscling in on the game.
5. Generation Five: In this current generation, cybercrime has become an enterprise with a thriving underground economy. Aspiring cybercriminals don’t even have to develop their own code; they can rent botnets by the hour and purchase licensed malware that comes with its own tech support. As a result, cybercrime is developing and spreading faster than ever.
