Cyberthreats are changing all the time. After all, most of us know at this point that the Nigerian royal family isn’t trying to hide millions of dollars in the U.S., and that it’s impossible to win a foreign lottery you never entered, so we should just delete those messages.
Yet for every online scam and threat that becomes little more than an annoyance, there are half a dozen or more that we need to be really concerned about. And the problem with cyberthreats is that like pretty much any danger, we don’t realize how severe they are until they actually do some significant damage. Unfortunately for many people, they don’t even know the risks until they have fallen victim to a crime, costing them money, time, or worse.
To help keep you abreast of the biggest cybersecurity threats, we’ve compiled a list of the top predictions for 2016. This list isn’t comprehensive, nor does it address potentially emerging threats that are just on the horizon. However, these are the most notable threats facing users right now, and everyone should be aware of them and taking precautions to avoid falling victim to them.
The Rise of Hacktivism
Hacktivism is nothing new — some of the biggest data breaches in recent history (ahem, Ashley Madison) were the result of hackers trying to prove a point about security practices. Whether designed to bring down a massive, dangerous operation (such as Anonymous’ campaign against ISIS) or to simply cause annoyance and disrupt operations for a competitor, hacktivism is on the rise. And with the 2016 presidential election on the horizon, experts predict that we will see more attacks launched with a specific purpose in mind beyond stealing data.
Ransomware
By now, we’ve all seen news stories about innocent victims trapped by ransomware: They are innocently surfing the Web or open an email, and suddenly their computer is being held hostage by a hacker, with a demand to pay up to regain access to their files. However, while many of the ransomware attacks of the past were random crimes of opportunity, many experts predict that ransomware attacks are going to become more targeted and personal. In fact, Internet security firm Trend Micro has already called 2016 the “year of online extortion,” predicting that ransomware attacks will begin using personal information gathered via other data breaches to blackmail victims into paying up.
The Internet of Things
From fitness trackers to refrigerators, almost everything is becoming connected to the Internet these days — and very few of those devices are fully secure. Security experts warn that a sophisticated hacker could easily hack into these devices that most of us take for granted, potentially wreaking havoc on the most basic functions of our lives. This is especially concerning to those in the health IT field, because while there may be little to gain from attacking toys, millions of people rely on Internet-connected medical devices, and an attack on those devices could prove deadly.
Mobile and Social Media Attacks
Nearly everyone carries a mobile device these days, and for many of us, there is little to differentiate a smartphone or tablet from a computer. We use smartphones for social media, banking, shopping, and countless other tasks — all of which give criminals the opportunity to steal sensitive personal and private data. This is in large part because many of us fail to properly secure our devices or treat them with the same level of security consideration as we do our computers. We fail to install antivirus protection, use unsecured networks, and respond to phishing messages far more often on our phones than our desktops, creating even more risk. With BYOD now widely accepted, our mobile behavior is even more risky — and criminals will exploit that tendency.
It’s also important to note that some experts are predicting that the risk to Apple products, which have been largely impervious to cyberattacks and viruses up until now, will increase this year. Thanks to increased market share, criminals are now paying more attention to Apple, and looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Users are now being encouraged to protect their devices with antivirus software, and to heed many of the precautions that have previously been directed toward other devices.
These are just a few of the predicted trends in cybersecurity for the coming year. As we all know, there are often incidents, such as the Heartbleed bug of 2014 or Target’s 2013 data breach, which take everyone by surprise and change the landscape permanently. However, by staying abreast of the current threats, and taking steps to protect against them via Internet security tools and following security recommendations, you can get through the year without a serious security problem — and don’t forget to continue ignoring the Nigerian princes.