Hackers targeted about 50 organisations — including chemical and defence companies — in a global wave of cyber-espionage attacks this summer, Symantec said in a report released on Monday.
Symantec's report on a recent wave of cyberattacks includes the geographic breakdown of computers used in the attacks. Image credit: Symantec
The goal was apparently to steal intellectual property such as design documents, formulas and manufacturing processes. "The purpose of the attacks appears to be industrial espionage, collecting intellectual property for competitive advantage," according to the report (PDF).
The wave of espionage attacks on chemical and other firms started in late July and continued through to mid-September, but command-and-control servers were in use back in April, the Symantec report said. The parties responsible are believed to have launched other targeted attacks against firms in other industries.
For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Symantec uncovers cyber espionage of chemical, defense firms on CNET News.
Get the latest technology news and analysis, blogs and reviews delivered directly to your inbox with ZDNet UK's newsletters.
