The world of computer information security is changing as fast as the systems it protects. A new report from the Computer Security Institute highlights just how fast the field is changing and what professionals will need to confront.

In the past, the most prevalent threats to computer information security were computer programmers trying to hack into company computers. Most were simply an amusing challenge to the attackers and ended with companies being informed by the perpetrator himself.

Houdini Code Threatens Company Security

But attacks are getting scarier, says a recent Business Technology blog of The Wall Street Journal. A new breed of professional hackers is targeting specific companies in order to steal business secrets. They're armed with code that can go undetected by anti-spyware and even shift forms when it is caught.

Apparently the new hackers are widespread in business. The Computer Security Institute surveyed 484 companies, the majority of which use antivirus software, firewalls, and anti-spyware. However, despite the computer information security measures in place, 46% of the companies reported at least one security incident within the past year. 26% reported experiencing more than 10 over the past 12 months.