A distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupted Web-based systems at credit card payment processing firm Authorize.Net is indicative of a sharp increase in the number of cyberattacks being targeted at specific companies and driven by profit motives on the part of the hackers who launch them.

"We're seeing a big escalation of attacks targeted at e-commerce companies," said Tom Corn, a vice president at Mazu Networks. Many of the attacks involve attempts to extort money from the targeted companies, he said.

By Jaikumar Vijayan at Info World.

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