As we move further into the 21st century, we are finding ourselves depending more and more on our various technologies. Unfortunately, along with the added efficiency and convenience that the information age has been able to provide, there have come a thousand new threats and dangers that we would never have been able to comprehend just a few short decades ago.
And, even as our ability to secure our sensitive information increases, so to do the number of ways that cybercriminals could potentially attack vulnerable systems. So, with the New Year now behind us, let’s take a look at five of the most dangerous potential cyber-threats of 2014.
1. Malware for Mobile Devices
Mobile smart devices are still a relatively new phenomenon. As such, smartphone and smart-pad users have enjoyed a distinctly safe existence from malware. This is because those who create viruses, trojans, and other malicious programs tend to focus their efforts where they are most likely to succeed. For a long time that meant only creating malware for desktop and laptop computer systems. However, with mobile devices beginning to outsell conventional computers, cyber criminals are beginning to take notice. According to a report released by McAfee Labs, mobile malware more than doubled last year, with 17,000 new mobile-device specific malware forms having been identified.
2. Internal Breaches
As connectivity grows, more and more organizations are beginning to view the world as a gigantic interconnected web, where the unseen phantoms of data-thieves lurk around every corner, waiting to attack insecure systems from half a world away. Advanced persistent threats, where an attacker is able to silently gain access to a system and remain there undetected for a period of time, have ended up costing various organizations millions of dollars in compromised data. But while external attacks are certainly a real threat, many groups fail to consider the possibility of internal breaches. Edward Snowden, you might remember, was able to collect such damning evidence against the NSA because he was working for them as a private contractor at the time. In fact, many of the most damaging attacks of 2013 originated internally. As more effort is put towards defended external access points, you can bet that hackers will respond by focusing their efforts on internal weaknesses.
3. Cyber-warfare
In March of 2013, several of America’s top intelligence officials testified before congress that the greatest current threat to national security is cyber terrorism. American accusations against China regarding the cyber-theft of intellectual property were made public back in May, and recent revelations regarding the use of cyber-warfare by America itself show that virtual superweapons are not only being developed, but are also being used with surprising frequency. Until new deterrents are created, expect to see more politically motivated cyber-attacks in 2014.
4. Ransomware
There’s really nothing new about ransomware. Basically, this form of malware takes control of a system, and then offers to release control in exchange for payment. Classically, this has taken the form of bogus antivirus programs and scareware that claim that the infected computer has been used for illegal activities. But while law enforcement agencies of the past have been able to track cyber-criminals who use ransomware, by simply following the money, with the rise of nearly impossible to track virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, ransomware will inevitably be making a comeback.
5. Cloud Attacks
This one isn’t difficult to figure out: Data is the currency of the virtual world, and with more and more data being stored in the cloud, that’s where cyber-criminals are going to focus their efforts. Expect to hear about cloud attacks in the very near future.
How could things get worse? Well, in addition to malware and other cyber attacks, it is possible that the very internet itself may be more vulnerable than we realize. As Danny Hillis pointed out:
“People are mostly focused on defending the computers on the Internet, and there’s been surprisingly little attention to defending the Internet itself as a communications medium. [We] need to pay some more attention to that, because it’s actually kind of fragile.”
What would happen if the internet were to fail? How much do rely on our connectivity, and would our society survive without it? These are difficult questions to answer, but one thing is for sure. When it comes to online security, 2014 may well be another difficult year.
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Written by Robert Cordray,
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