Security: IBM: The Good and Bad About Internet Security

IT security professionals are doing a better job than in the past at dealing with the numerous Internet threats that are out there, according to IBM's "X-Force 2011 Trend and Risk Report," which the company officially released March 22. The amount of spam email dropped in 2011 from 2010, and Big Blue saw significant improvements in vulnerability patching and software application code. In a release about the report, IBM officials referred to what they called "surprising improvements." However, the IBM report also reinforced the idea that businesses face cyber-criminals who are nimble and adaptable. Attackers are switching their focus into new areas, such as mobile devices, social media and cloud computing, according to IBM. At the same time, there has been a surge of activity in some traditional threats, such as phishing. Tom Cross, manager of threat intelligence and strategy for IBM X-Force, noted that he saw "surprisingly good progress" by the tech industry in improving the quality of software. But in response, attackers evolved their techniques. "As long as attackers profit from cyber-crime, organizations should remain diligent in prioritizing and addressing their vulnerabilities," said Cross.