Hacking attempts to top one billion in Q4, predicts NCC Group

One billion hacking attempts will be made globally in the final quarter of 2012, according to new predictions by information assurance firm NCC Group.

The firm’s latest Origin of Hacks report identifies 981 million hacks attempted globally in the third quarter (Q3) of 2012, up 23 million on the number attempted in the second quarter of the year.

According to NCC Group, there is no sign of this growth trend abating and numbers are expected to exceed one billion in Q4.

The US remains the top country for hack origins, but Russia and China are seeing the largest growth, with an increase of nearly 70 million hacks originating in these countries from Q2 to Q3.

Despite the overall increase, the number of hacks originating in the UK fell by five million in Q3. As a result, the UK fell out of the global top ten of countries from which hacks originated.

Rob Cotton, CEO of NCC Group said passing the one billion mark is a milestone no-one should be proud of.

“We’ve had copious initiatives and plans announced in the past quarter from bodies and governments aimed at addressing this issue, but the urgency just does not seem to correlate with the growing threat,” he said.

Initiatives, such as the government’s plan to recruit 100 young fighters of cybercrime will not solve the problem alone, said Cotton.

“Public and private sector must work together, strategically and tactically, if we are going to be able to realistically defend against a billion hacks a quarter,” he said.