By Leon Ward, Field Product Manager, Sourcefire

The first PC viruses appeared more than 25 years ago. Little did we realise that this was just the beginning of what would become a series of threat waves.

For nearly 10 years viruses endured as the primary method of attack, but over time were largely matched by defenders’ talents to block and protect against them. Motivated by the notoriety and knowledge gained by discovering and publicising a new vulnerability, attackers continued to innovate. What ensued were distinct threat cycles. Approximately every five years attackers would launch new types of threats and defenders would protect against them – from macro viruses to worms to spyware and rootkits. Continue reading →