GEC NEWS WIREMcAfee Labs advises organizations to take steps to strengthen threat detection at the known initial attack vectors
Intel Security’s recently released McAfee Labs Threats Report: May 2015 has revealed the rapid proliferation of new ransomware, HDD and SSD firmware attacks by the Equation Group computer espionage group, and a major increase in malware targeting Adobe Flash multimedia software. McAfee Labs also registered an increase in suspect URLs hosting suspect content in the Middle East region.
“We feel it is our duty to monitor and report any security breaches and concerns and advise businesses and individuals on the safest and fastest ways to mitigate and solve them. It is important to be aware of the evolving and steadily increasing landscape of cyber threats as well as of the basic and necessary techniques on how to identify phishing emails and websites if we are to attempt to effectively strengthen our security defenses,” said HamedDiab, Intel Security’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
McAfee Labs suggests organizations and individuals make it a priority to learn how to recognize phishing emails, including the use of tools such as the Intel Security Phishing Quiz.
The first quarter also saw forty-two new Adobe Flash vulnerabilities submitted to the U.S. National Vulnerability Database in Q1. On the same day those vulnerabilities were posted, Adobe made initial fixes available for all 42 vulnerabilities.
To fully leverage vendor efforts to address vulnerabilities, McAfee Labs urges organizations and individual users to be more diligent in keeping their products updated with the latest security patches.
