Top 5 Security Predictions for 2010: What to Watch Out for

As 2009 draws to an end, enterprises are gearing up for rising security threats in 2010. The list of security risks is unlikely to create any new surprises, as these are threats that information technology security professionals have been battling for years. Thumbnail photo by dheuer.

1) Social Engineering Fueled by Social Networks

Social media has grown up. It started out as a trend, but has won over serious corporate converts. More companies now actively encourage employees to use the collaborative aspects of social networking sites, to engage audiences in their company’s messages, products and services.

With the popularity of social networking sites poised for another year of explosive growth, expect IT network specialists to view this as a key concern, as social engineering attacks increase in sophistication. These attacks can be cloaked in far-reaching and unpredictable effects – any stolen personal information serves as a starting point to harm the individual or his corporate environment.

In the New Year, there will be a continued exploitation of the social contract. Social engineering attacks will persevere and gain more ground, as more commercial applications increase the disclosure of personal valuable data.

2) Criminals Take to Cloud Computing

The rise of cloud computing has also captured the interest and attention of criminals, who embrace the use of cloud computing to enhance performance and costs advantages.

Cybercriminals are testing ways to use the storage and bandwidth of cloud-based services for various botnet command-and-control capabilities. Cloud guarantees resilience and anonymity, which is highly attractive to criminals.

The cloud is going to offer the serious criminal large computing resources on tap, and it is crucial that cloud service providers monitor their networks more stringently.

3) Data Security Breach Tied to Theft a Huge Concern

Workplace data theft reached a record high this year, as job losses increased in the midst of the recession. Security professionals are aware that data security breach from the inside is more worrying than data theft by outsiders. A high percentage of employees, despite knowing the grave implications of such an act, have persisted in stealing propriety data for personal gain.

The promise of quick money continues to entice employees with entitled insider privileges to confidential customer information. According to a 2008 Symantec report, underground prices for consumer credit card information range from $0.10 to $25 per card. The entitled employee working at a company with sloppy internal controls could sell 10,000 card numbers and make an easy $100,000.

Insider data theft is set to become a bigger concern in 2010, with the rise of new or emerging technologies which boosts fast and easy spread of information.

4) More Focused Attacks on Microsoft Windows 7

With the recent release of Windows 7, it is expected that malware authors will shift their attention to Microsoft’s latest operating system in 2010. They will find ways to exploit any vulnerability in the new operating system, with targeted attacks.

5) Proliferation and Evolution of Botnets

Despite industry countermeasures which have reduced the effectiveness of traditional botnets, the botnet armies have regrouped and continue to march on into the New Year. Adaptation and evolution has been the key strategy of the day, as cyber criminals pushed ahead and upgraded their skills.

The continued evolution will see botnets in 2010 becoming artificially intelligent, with each node possessing a self-sufficient inbuilt coding in order to coordinate and extend its own survival.

The numbers and sophistication of botnets is expected to grow, and proceed to dominate the cyber security landscape, compromising computers worldwide with spam and malware.

Moving into 2010, whilst criminals go to greater lengths to break through the security barriers, the security professionals and experts will rise up to the challenge, working hard to immobilize their threats. Increased user education and protection will ensure that networks stay protected, and reduce their security concerns for the New Year.

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