Did you know that computers often become infected with virus-like programs called “bots” causing “denial of service” incidents on websites? Similar to the large data centers that comprise cloud based computing services, hackers have been creating botnets, large networks of infected computers that can operate collectively to perform malicious tasks. Portions of these networks are leased out to others who use them to launch attacks against web sites, among other things.

The recent bank attacks are examples of what can be done easily with the power of a botnet and nefarious schemes. For more information on the recent incidents, read my quotes from the Cleveland.com article, “KeyCorp, U.S. Bank web sites hit in the latest cyber attack against nation’s largest banks.”

For more information about how to know if your computers and information are secure, call me at 216-664-1100.