Cyber Attackers’ Tactics Outpace Companies’ Responses

The tactics of hackers, cyber-criminals and state-sponsored spies are evolving so quickly that attackers often can re-enter a company’s networks after being detected and banned, according to a U.S. computer security firm.

Aerospace and defense companies were targets in 17 percent of sophisticated computer attacks during 2012, the most of any industry, according to a report released today by Mandiant Corp. of Alexandria, Virginia. Energy, oil and gas companies were next, with 14 percent of incidents, followed by the financial industry, with 11 percent.