Beginning in 2005, methods for executing Internet attacks have been quietly evolving. The shift has remained subtle to date, but enterprises that ignore newer attack methods may experience significant losses. Hackers’ motivation for launching attacks has changed, causing the current threat evolution.

Today attacks are profit driven, not glory and fame. The more organized attempts for financial gain are harnessing intellectual talent within the hacker community to devise new attack strategies and innovative malicious code (malcode) that invades enterprises systems without detection.