Trend Micro 2014 Predictions

Mpayments and mobile banking:
The growing use of mpayments, mobile banking and retail apps linked to personal credit card details has led to a notable surge in mobile threats. Fake banking apps became a common problem in 2013 and legitimate banking apps became a favoured cybercriminal target. Going mobile also rendered traditional two-step verification methods insufficient for securing financial transactions. As more people use mobile devices for both banking and authentication, cybercriminals have started intercepting authentication codes provided by banking institutions to enable two factor authentication.

Attacks on point-of -sale terminals and healthcare devices:
We have been long aware that cybercriminals and threat actors look for “cracks” in security to initiate attacks. As Microsoft officially ends support for Windows XP in 2014, expect a rise in attacks that target connected devices beyond computers and mobile devices. Point-of-sale (PoS) terminals, healthcare devices, and smart energy metres often run older, unsupported versions of Windows and will be used by cybercriminals as points of entry to IT networks.

The PRISM scandal causes cybercriminals to go “deeper” underground with the ‘Deep Web’:
PRISM revelations around government monitoring of online communications and transactions has led cybercriminals to turn to “darknets”, a class of networks that guarantee anonymous and untraceable online access. The most popular darknet is The Onion Router (TOR), which hides a shared file’s origin and destination. The Deep Web also allows cybercriminal content to evade detection by escaping search engine crawling. Law enforcement agencies may not have enough knowledge or experience to deal with cybercrime and will have a hard time tracking criminals in the Deep Web, prompting more investment in the fight against cybercrime.

Most unusual 2013 internet security threats:
While the majority of cyber criminals focus their attention on accessing information that can be exploited for commercial gain, we also encounter more unusual uses of cyber-crime tactics along with specifically targeted malicious attacks. In 2013 these included:
• In August in a hacker took control of baby monitor in the US to shout abuse at a sleeping toddler
• Spyware has been sold commercially as a means to “track” cheating partners or spouses

Looking beyond 2014:
Trend Micro recently partnered with Europol and the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance to investigate where cybercriminals are likely to focus in the future as new technologies hit the mainstream. Our predictions for the technology and threat landscape in 2020 include:
• Wearable glasses and headsets: Many people will use Heads Up Display glasses (such as Google Glass), smart contact lenses and augmented reality headsets. These will become the new favoured target to obtain personal information. Their built-in cameras will be used for privacy attacks, giving cybercriminals a bird’s eye view of users’ daily activities and a means to record details like bank PINs and other personal information
• Drones will be commonly used for surveillance, farming and maybe even delivering our Amazon orders! Unfortunately, cybercriminals can and will exploit them, using them to access corporate IT networks to launch attacks or access sensitive data
• Automated identification systems (AIS) are used to track the whereabouts of ships travelling across the world's oceans and are mandatory for vessels over a certain size. However, these systems were not designed with security in mind making it possible for cybercriminals to hijack and perform attacks on existing vessels, taking over AIS communications and tampering with the major online tracking providers. Over the next five years we could well see an AIS transmitting station attack that will have drastic consequences for the shipping industry
• By 2016, 85% of flat panel TV’s will be smart TVs, so it’s important for owners to know what kind of security threats they need to be looking out for. Because smart TVs allow users to access their online accounts, cyber-attacks are a key concern. Smart TVs are just like a computer so cybercriminals are likely to install malicious applications that steal information and monitor activities. Additionally, since smart TVs don’t come with a keyboard, it’s likely that owners will start setting shorter, easy-to-guess passwords, making life easier for fraudsters.