Sophos released its mid-year 2010 'Security Threat Report'

href="http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Security/Products/Sophos-provides-free-tool-against-LNK/139337/0/">Sophos
has
published its mid-year 2010 'Security Threat Report', revealing the
findings of a survey into attitude towards cyber-warfare and
detailing other trends and developments in IT security for the first
half of 2010. Sophos's worldwide survey of 1077 computer users
uncovers some alarming attitudes towards international
cyber-espionage. Respondents were asked questions including whether
they thought spying via hacking or malware attacks is an acceptable
practice and if the computer networks of private companies in other
countries are legitimate targets.

Some of the key
findings of the survey indicate a relaxed attitude to state-sponsored
cyber-crime:

1. 63 percent
of those polled, believe that it is acceptable for their country to
spy on other nations by hacking or installing malware (23 percent
said 'yes at any time', 40 percent said 'only during wartime', 37
percent said 'no')

2. A staggering
one in 14 respondents believe that crippling denial of service
attacks against another country's communication or financial websites
are acceptable during peacetime (49 percent said only in 'wartime',
44 percent said 'never')

3. 32 percent
believe that countries should be allowed to plant malware and hack
into private foreign companies in order to spy for economic advantage
(23 percent said 'this was only acceptable in wartime', 9 percent
said 'in peacetime', 68 percent said 'no')

"It is
perhaps surprising that so many people seem to think that using the
internet as a tool for spying, or even as a weapon, is acceptable
practice," said Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant,
Sophos. "After all, by giving the green light to these kind of
activities you would also have to expect to be on the receiving end
too. Maybe yours will be the next company probed by an overseas
power," Cluley further added. 'Operation
Aurora', which first came to light at the start of the year, resulted
in Google accusing Chinese hackers of cyber-warfare, as its systems,
and those of other companies, were hit with targeted attacks,
potentially signaling the most obvious sign yet of a new age of
malware.

"Hacking and
virus-writing began as a hobbyist activity, often designed to prove
how smart the programmer was, rather than to cause serious long-term
harm," continued Cluley. "It evolved into organized
criminal activity, with the lure of large amounts of money and now,
in 2010, it could be argued that the third motivation is using
malware and the internet to gain commercial, political and military
advantage over others," he concluded.