Survey shows cyberattacks are getting more disruptive

Cyberattacks that seek to penetrate computer networks or disrupt online services are increasing significantly, according to a survey of public and private sector information security and technology professionals released on Tuesday. Infections from software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system were "easily the most prevalent" type of cyberattack in 2009, the Computer Security Institute survey found. More than 64 percent of 443 respondents said they were victims of malware attacks, compared to 50 percent in 2008. Often these were multistage attacks, in which the malware downloaded separate tools to enhance the severity of the infection once inside the network, according to the report.