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Do you think the malware authors know, care, or can even tell the nature of their victims? A Windows box is a Windows box, whether it is connected to my printer
by closeparen 7y ago
Do you think the malware authors know, care, or can even tell the nature of their victims? A Windows box is a Windows box, whether it is connected to my printer or an industrial control system.
- PeterisP 7y agoDepends on the malware authors - while in many cases they're just looking for simple money through mass attacks on random machines, there certainly are may active attackers where the malware is explicitly targeted to particular victims, so they definitely know whom they're targeting, and they won't be sending payloads that brick a specific firmware version of some siemens ICS to the windows box connected to your printer.
- tetha 7y agoI don't think that's relevant. If a software has a feature usable in creative ways, and there are persons willing to exploit the software, they eventually will. Exploits and malware will be written due to human curiosity and greed. And then the exploit is out there and generated, and then it'll be used. Attackers of e.g. Norsk Hydro or Baltimore use the malware in an aggressive, targeted way. A botnet uses the malware in an aggressive, spray-and-pray way. Pentesters are another thing. However, if the malware hits the right thing, ugly things will happen. That's what I meant with "wild-west". Don't blame the gunsmith for bullets flying around. Build a solid wall to hide behind.