French TV network TV5Monde has revealed additional details about the cyber attack in April that took down all 12 of its channels. Using a series of targeted attacks, the hackers first breached the network on the 23rd of January and were able to remain there until an engineer discovered a corrupted machine and shut it down. The attack was far more sophisticated and targeted than reported at the time. IT security experts from Digital Guardian and Barracuda Networks commented below.
Luke Brown, VP and GM EMEA, India and LatAm at Digital Guardian:
Wieland Alge, VP & GM EMEA at Barracuda Networks:
“That’s not to say that these cyber threats are simple to defend against. Cyber criminals are shifting towards more targeted attacks and more advanced malware that cannot be detected by traditional anti-virus and scanners. It appears that TV6Monde was targeted with such an attack. These attacks rely on building a well-researched profile of the target organisation or individual. Most people are trying to get things done quickly, so it really isn’t difficult to trick them. Many companies are vulnerable against a type of attack that does not only use technology, but a well-trained team of people.
“We are in a kind of golden age for digital crime. The business has injected change at accelerating speed into all elements of IT and many organisations are simply trying to keep their security stable. It has become quite easy for attackers to find an unprotected door.”
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