TRACE (Threat Research and Content Engineering) is a group of Marshal security analysts who constantly monitor and respond to Internet security threats. TRACE provides a service to Marshal customers as part of standard product maintenance. The service includes updates to Marshal’s unique, proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor. TRACE analyzes spam, phishing and Internet security trends and provides frequent automated updates to Marshal customers. TRACE also provides “Zero Day” security protection to secure Marshal customers against new email and virus exploits the day they emerge.<\/p>\n
There are several terms that are typical in this area:<\/p>\n
Phishing<\/em>, is a play on the word fishing, and does pretty much the same but for information instead of fish. By gathering information from computers and or people they gain enough of an edge to gain access and control over others computers.<\/p>\n Malware<\/em> is software which is written to basically help cyber-criminals gain information and access to other peoples computers and networks. It might be hiding in web code (html) or some attachment like an mp3 or pdf file.<\/p>\n A Botnet<\/em> is a network of “contaminated” computers that are under the control of the cyber-criminals. It is used to send bulk emails and to conduct mass attacks.<\/p>\n “It would be incomplete to discuss spam without commenting on the “Not only have the large botnets taken over in terms of spam volume, they
\nmalware and criminal activity that sustains it. Distributing spam and
\nmalware is firmly in the domain of professional criminals looking for
\nfinancial gain. In the last six months, cyber-criminals have, unfortunately,
\nreached new heights of sophistication and capability.<\/p>\n
\nhave also evolved to reach new levels of sophistication. During the middle
\nof 2007, the Storm botnet grew rapidly following mass spamming of emails
\ncontaining links to websites hosting malicious code. The websites not
\nonly hosted executable files that could be downloaded by users, but they
\nalso hosted malicious code that attempted to exploit a number of different
\nknown browser vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n