Security vendor McAfee earlier this week revealed Operation Shady Rat, a long-running series of network intrusions and acts of data theft that preyed on organizations all over the world. "The threat is absolutely real and serious, and McAfee has been aware of it for many years, as have many others," Dmitri Alperovitch, vice president of threat research at McAfee, told TechNewsWorld. McAfee has worked with law enforcement groups to keep them apprised of Shady Rat, Alperovitch said. However, the right solution might entail taking a more sweeping approach.