Today Infoblox is announcing the launch of a unique new measure of cybercrime attacks: The Infoblox DNS Threat Index, powered by IID. The index is unique because it tracks the creation of malicious domains. Before cyber criminals can execute an attack, they must first build infrastructure, which often includes exploitation of the Domain Name System (DNS).
So what did our research find? The index, which is built on data going back to the beginning of 2013, hit a record high of 133 in the second quarter of 2015, up 58 percent from the same quarter in 2014. The rise was due largely to a surge in phishing attacks. Phishing, a time-tested weapon of cybercriminals, involves sending emails that point users to fake web sites—mimicking a bank’s home page, for example, or a company’s employee portal—to collect confidential information such as account names and passwords or credit-card numbers.
We also saw a growing demand for exploit kits, which are packages of malicious software that are typically hidden on web sites and appear to be innocuous until they download malware when a user visits.
Knowing and differentiating between different attacks and the different threat levels of DNS-based malware can help organizations to prepare by prioritizing investments in infrastructure and host protection as well as technologies that provide visibility into malware outbreaks.
Another trend Infoblox and IID found is a phenomenon we’re calling “seasons” of cybercrime. Our research indicates that effectively, there are two seasons that are constantly cycling back and forth: planting and harvesting. The planting season is when cybercriminals build infrastructure for malicious attacks. Then attackers begin to harvest their extensive infrastructure, stealing data and generally causing harm to their target victims. Our new index helps organizations to understand where attackers are in this endless cycle.
Find out more about DNS threats and malicious domain creation in our full report, available for free with no registration required at: www.infoblox.com/dns-threat-index.
