Once there, the intruders apparently viewed source code for software products Microsoft has under development. As of press time, the Gates invaders had not been tracked down. Security experts say cyberextortion is becoming a big problem for big corporations of late. In some cases, thieves have actually absconded with computer code or credit card numbers, then issued ransom demands.
Security experts claim many businesses choose to keep the attacks under wraps.
The cost of paying off a blackmailer is cheap compared with the PR hit a company takes when word gets out that its computer system has been compromised. To limit risks from cyberextortion, some companies have begun purchasing ecommerce insurance. But some corporate managers would rather keep the cash and assume the risk. In fact, some executives refuse to address a hack after it's discovered. They don't want to spend money fixing problems if consumers are the only ones who are going to be hurt.