Shamoon

The August 17th article from PCWorld read, “…Next generation malware takes insidious to a whole new level.”  I recently listed three big threats you should know about, Stuxnet, Flame, and Gauss…now add Shamoon to the mix.  This one apparently wipes our your hard drive and master boot record to keep you from performing any meaningful forensics.

From PCWorld’s analysis, all four (Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, and Gauss) “…are believed to be sophisticated, state-sponsored malware developed for the purpose of cyber espionage against specific targets.”  This may affect larger organizations, and may seem irrelevant to the SMB market, but it’s the technology advancements behind these tools that concern me.  Over time the technology used here will likely be incorporated into malware readily available online to just about anyone.

While this may not drive additional products and services right now, I recommend knowing about these things as your client’s adviser.  Consider setting up briefings with local business executives to educate them on what is going on, and what steps their organizations should be taking to protect their customers and internal sensitive data from data security threats in general.

Educational marketing is the best way to reach out to business owners, executives, and anyone in that “Asset Owner” position.

© 2012, David Stelzl