The first PC viruses appeared more than 25
years ago. Little did we realize 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 publicizing a new
vulnerability, attackers continued to innovate. What ensued were distinct
threat cycles. From macro viruses to worms to spyware and rootkits,
approximately every five years attackers would launch new types of threats and
defenders would protect against them.
It’s no surprise that
we can map these cycles to major technology shift
