Hackers shifting their focus to pharming

IT departments are engaged in an arms race with hackers: As soon as the former puts security mechanisms in place to thwart attacks, the latter launches new assaults. As corporations and users take steps to reduce phishing, a technique that relies on bulk email, embedded Web links, and bogus Web sites to perpetrate identity theft, hackers are turning their attention to pharming, which exploits security holes in peer-to-peer applications and the Internet’s Domain Name Services (DNS).

“Six months ago, hackers were launching pharming attacks more as a proof of concept than for profit,” stated Lance Cottrell, president of Anonymizer Inc., a security product supplier. “Since they’ve proven pharming can be effective, there has been an increase in the level of activity associated with it.”