Europe under attack from hackers

Since the war in Iraq European countries have reported an increase in hacking attacks. European victims, including the UK, now account for 36 per cent of all worldwide digital attacks. The findings from the mi2g Intelligence Unit show that after Brazil, ideologically motivated and criminal hacker groups are originating in the Middle East in countries including Turkey, Morocco, Kuwait, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Many hacker attacks require insider help or social engineering skills. Middle Eastern hacker groups are finding it easier to identify accomplices who have the skill-sets to infiltrate European companies faster and more easily than North American ones.

"Only 1 per cent of all attacks are taking place against Islamic countries or their interests at present although Islamic hacking groups are increasingly responsible for a significant proportion of all digital attacks worldwide," explained DK Matai, Executive Chairman of mi2g. "Nearly 80 per cent of all digital attacks are now directed against Western corporations, government agencies and home-users. The Western economies are increasingly exposed because they are much more computer dependent and densely networked."

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