Symantec Cautions Firms Against “Parasitic Storage”

The security company Symantec has cautioned the corporate houses about the emergence of "parasitic storage" - a technique frequently used by criminals to exploit the network of commandeered systems.

Hackers are using botnets - invalid networks of machines compromised by the scammers - to send spam. Hackers continue to store a huge number of illegal and stolen data over the distributed environment. The security company reported this to ZDNet UK on May 30, 2007.

Although, Symantec has warned companies that their computers can be used and captured by criminals to save data, they also added that the risk factor is minimal. Several compromised and linked PC that don't utilize their RAM appropriately and do not possess enough space on hard drives, become a perfect refuge for illegal data storage.

Guy Bunker, senior director with technical strategy of Symantec, told to ZDNet UK on May 30, 2007, "It is not about using data on machines, rather it is other way round; it is all about accessing the system for data storage. It is a clear and careful use of botnets."

Apart from Symantec, other research companies like Support Intelligence reported, that around 500 firms, in spite of having sound and well-built IT security systems, still have their systems exploit.

"Juggling" is one of the devices of "parasitic storage", according to Bowes; it is used to manage illegal and stolen data. Hackers hijack many slow and stable servers in order to avoid the charge of having information on their computer. And, in return, send information into converted code to each of them. As soon as, the information returns, it is transferred to another random server of the group.

Symantec has come up with another illegal method of storing data. In this, a hijacker uses SMTP (email) server and can take help of these sites to conceal data.

In last week of April, a report was released by Mark Monitor, which claimed that hackers are continuously attacking company products and false pretence of profit, further, rages up their attempt. With almost examples 2, 75,000 reported in the month of March (2006), it has been proved that an illegal use of a brand name is the most frequent form of abusing a brand.

CEO of Mark Monitor, Irfan Salim said that, hackers are opportunistic, adaptive, security savvy, and they know the norms of online marketing and the means to exploit it, as per the news of Computer World published in last week of April.

Related article: Sentence for American Contractor for Sabotaging Government Navy Computers

» SPAMfighter News - 6/11/2007