14 DAY TRIAL // Cyber security has become a highly important topic. Over the past few years, governments and organizations from all over the world have come to realize that they need to come up with proper strategies and solutions in order to protect themselves against cyber threats.
But what will the future hold?
Security experts from Symantec believe that, for one, in 2013, cyber conflict will “become the norm.”
“In 2013 and beyond, conflicts between nations, organizations, and individuals will play a key role in the cyber world,” Symantec’s Kevin Haley explained.
Cyber espionage will become more and more popular among nation states. Countries and organizations will continue to rely on cyber to cause damage to their enemies, and individuals and NGOs will become more targeted.
The presence of scareware has faded in the past period and experts predict that ransomware will take its place. Cybercriminals have noticed that they can use online payment methods to collect money without being caught, so these types of schemes have become more profitable.
Furthermore, it’s believed that the methods utilized will become “harsher and more destructive.”
Another prediction made by Symantec refers to “madware,” or mobile adware. These threats can not only help cybercriminals collect information from their victims’ devices, but they also disrupt the user’s experience.
Over the past nine months, the number of apps that include aggressive forms of madware has increased by 210% and the incline will likely continue.
As real money becomes more and more utilized on social media networks, cybercriminals will start focusing their efforts on making a profit by stealing payment credentials linked to such services.
“Symantec anticipates an increase in malware attacks that steal payment credentials in social networks or trick users into providing payment details, and other personal and potentially valuable information, to fake social networks. This may include fake gift notifications and email messages requesting home addresses and other personal information,” Haley added.
Finally, in 2013, mobile platforms and cloud services will become the targets of many cyberattacks. With the advancements in mobile technology, criminals will benefit from new opportunities to monetize their activities.