<p> <i> 20.10 pm </i> Hackers using social media
 platforms for planning cyber attacks

Social Media is not just a platform of social interactions, but has increasingly become a tool for marketers and companies to reach out to targeted audiences. Beyond this social media sites have also become a platform for hackers to closely cooperate and group with each other to launch measured attacks, an industry expert has revealed.

“The cyber crime scenario is turning murkier day by day… and social media is providing a fantastic platform for these people (cyber criminals)”, R. Vittal Raj, international vice president of Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), was quoted as saying by IBNLive at the sidelines of an event. Raj added that hackers may not be knowing each other, but when it comes to money they share their capabilities.

The ISACA VP added that security experts in organisations are putting more and more efforts to combat hackers, but cyber criminals are staying one step ahead and coming up with new strategies to exploit IT system.

Raj talked about the dangers of Advance Persistent Threats (APTs) and how hackers are increasingly becoming patient waiting for the right opportunity to strike. “We are seeing size and complexity of attacks never seen before… this is a new trend in organised crime…,” he said.

Raj said there has been a phenomenal jump in cyber attacks since 2013, compared to 2012 with McAfee estimating the cost of malicious cyber activity in 2013 in the range of $300 billion to $1 trillion.</p>