14 DAY TRIAL // A recent study made by AVG and the research agency The Future Laboratory revealed that cybercrime will soon be at an all-time high, not because of inefficient software that cannot keep systems protected, but as a result of the human element involved, codenamed wetware.
The report shows that malware is getting more complex and more difficult to detect, while internet users become less active when it comes to protecting their virtual belongings and machines.
It looks like more than 30% of European internauts don't bother updating their antivirus applications with the latest definitions.
Hackers took notice of the fact that people are the weakest link so instead of developing new malicious programs, in many cases they turn to social engineering, which most of the times does the trick.
“It’s clear that cybercriminals are getting more and more sophisticated, not only in their programming but also in their methods. The idea that they’re moving from utilizing weaknesses in the software to attacking the ‘wetware’ is a disturbing one, and demands that we respond by improving people’s awareness of these rogue programs so that they aren’t so easily deceived,” revealed Dr. Antonia Ward, author of the study.
Other parts of the report show that identity theft and bank fraud occurrences have increased, the tools and tactics utilized for these crimes developing quite fast.
On the other hand, a disturbing thing is that most smartphone owners don't see their mobile devices as mini PCs and because of that they don't fully understand the perils that come with such devices. Only 4% of French smartphone users think about the protection of their devices, while SMS fraud has increased considerably in the past period.
Because in the near future everything will have an internet connection, we'll be highly exposed to hacking threats even while doing activities that so far were risk free. Car systems will be vulnerable, alarm systems will be exploitable and the wellness technology will be penetrable by hackers, leaving us unprotected in many situations.
“It’s increasingly evident that each unprotected individual makes us all vulnerable, so it’s vital that as a global society we find ways to address this trend and ensure that we are protected together. We’re securing people’s digital life, or as we like to say: Providing Peace of Mind to the Connected World,” stated JR Smith, CEO of AVG Technologies, after seeing the results of the research.