Cyberattack News Update April 2015: One Million New Malware Threats Launched Every Day

Hackers scheming to steal information are working faster than companies can fend off their attacks, analyses made by the Internet security firm Symantec and tech company Verizon showed.

According to Symantec's latest analysis of security threats in 2014, thieves are launching more malicious attacks compared to previous years, CNN reported on Tuesday.

Over 317 million new malware threats, referring to computer viruses or other malicious software, were created last year. The figure translates to almost a million new threats released daily, the Symantecreport said..

The company's analysis of security threats in 2014 revealed thieves are working faster than companies can defend themselves, and launching more malicious attacks than in previous years.

Cyberattacks spread fast into an industry, taking only 82 seconds for a person to become a victim of  a malware-laced spam email, a report from tech company Verizon said. Once they manage to get inside a bank or a studio, hackers will use the same method to target another firm in the same industry, Verizon's Internet security team found out.

Last year, high-profile cybercrimes ranged from the Heartbleed bug to major attacks against companies like Sony.

According to Symantec, five out of six large companies were targeted by cybercriminals last year, a 40 percent increase on the previous year's figure. The mining industry is the most targeted sector in the world, the Internet security company said.

One case involved hackers stealing a draft report from an energy company's computer network, recalled Samir Kapuria, a Symantec executive. The report was about the secret discovery of a potentially lucrative energy drilling spot. Hackers tried to sell the information on a black market website to stock traders but were foiled when the firm, using a pseudonym, told prospective black market buyers that the report was false.

Newer scams include digital extortion, in which hackers steal files or photos from a victim's computer and demand a ransom usually between $300 and $500 in exchange for a key for decryption.

Sophisticated attacks involve hackers hiding malware in software updates and wait for users to install the updates, "meaning companies are essentially infecting themselves."

Scams on social media are also increasing, usually by including links to "sketchy" sites in shared stories or videos.

People are more likely to click on something posted by a friend, making swindles spread quickly, said Symantex. "Likejacking" uses fake "like" buttons that install malware and may post on a user's news feed, which spreads the attack.

Often, hackers rely on old computer bugs that companies still have not yet fixed, Verizon said in its 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report. In almost 90 percent of cases, they rely on computer bugs that have stuck around since 1992.

"The third most popular option for hackers is a glitch in the way an IT manager remotely manages corporate PCs – one that's existed since 1999. Companies could and should be patching this stuff, but they don't," said CNN.

Organizations "just don't have the manpower or time," Verizon security data scientist Bob Rudis said.