The world didn’t end on December 21 last year. Thanks god. And now we are coming to the end of year 2013. Time flies, right? As we move closer to the new year, we need to get ourselves ready for the upcoming threats, if computer and mobile security is your major concern.
Security vendor Trend Micro has put together a list of predictions for 2014 which will give the world a closer look on the future cyber-threat landscape.
Without much ado, let’s take a look at Trend Micro security predictions for 2014 and beyond. There are eight of them.
1. Basic two-step verification will no longer work against mobile man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks
As more people used mobile devices for both banking and authentication, cybercriminals started intercepting authentication numbers with the aid of mobile malware like PERKEL and ZITMO. Mobile banking will suffer from more MitM attacks. Basic two-step verification will no longer be sufficient.
2. Cybercriminals will level up via targeted attack methods
Cybercriminals will increasingly use targeted-attack-type methodologies like open source research and highly customized spear phishing, along with multiple exploits. They will be adopted because of ease of use and effectiveness in terms of evading detection.
3. Bad actors will increasingly use clickjacking and watering hole tactics, new exploits and mobile threat vectors
In the context of targeted attacks, we will see more clickjacking and watering hole attacks, new exploits of choice, and attacks via mobile devices. Threat actors will lure targets to a watering hole site using a clever social engineering ruse or clickjacking in order to compromise computers with exploits.
4. One major data breach will occur each month
We will see one major data breach incident a month. Someone will always attempt to break in to networks using new tools and by exploiting vulnerabilities.
5. More bugs will be exploited as vendors end support for Java 6 and Windows XP
Attacks leveraging vulnerabilities in widely used but unsupported software like Java 6 and Windows XP will intensify. As Microsoft officially ends support for Windows XP in 2014, we will see the Java 6 scenario play out for Windows XP as well. Expect a pickup in attacks, zero-days, and exploit integration into known kits, among other things.
6. Bad actors will use the Deep Web to drag law enforcers in a global struggle
The Deep Web will significantly challenge law enforcement, as the latter struggles to build capacity in order to address cybercrime on a large scale.
7. Privacy will become bigger than individual; public distrust will ensue
Public distrust will ensue, especially after the exposure of state-sponsored monitoring activities, resulting in a period of disparate efforts to restore privacy.
8. Bad actors will continue to await the “killer app” before jumping onto the IoE bandwagon
We will not yet see large-scale, widespread IoE threats. This requires a “killer app,” which may appear in the area of AR in the form of technology like heads-up displays.
The 2014 security predictions is available as a report in PDF format. For full details, you can download and read the report here.
