[Report] Security Threat - Report 2012

Cybercriminals constantly launch attacks designed to penetrate your digital defenses and steal sensitive data . And almost no online portal is immune to threat or harm .According to SophosLabs more than 30,000 websites are infected every day and 80% of those infected sites are legitimate . Eighty-five percent of all malware, including viruses, worms, spyware, adware and Trojans, comes from the web . To day, drive-by downloads have become the top web threat . And in 2011, we saw one drive-by malware rise to number one, known as Blackhole .

1. Social media and the web

We expect cybercriminals to continue their effective mass generation of malware, increasing the number of attacks using new social media platforms and integrated apps . 2. Security means more than Microsoft Over the past 18 months the bad guys have increased attacks on platforms like Mac OS X and Adobe . We’ll continue to see more targeted attacks on non-Windows platforms in 2012 and 2013 .

3. Mobile devices in the spotlight

In 2011 we saw a greater volume of malicious attacks on key platforms such as Android . IT security professionals will need to deal with rapidly evolving mobile platforms, each with a unique set of risks .

4. New web and network technologies force us to learn some lessons

Web technologies are undergoing interesting changes, from HTML5 to IPv6 . These new technologies introduce some impressive new capabilities, but they also introduce new attack vectors .

5. Casual consumerization causes backsliding

A casual shift to use of consumer devices without appropriate controls will cause backsliding in security capabilities . IT will once again struggle to deploy reliable security measures for the environment .

6. More hacktivism and targeted attacks

With rising awareness of cybercrime as a means of data theft, intelligence gathering, and political dirty tricks, it’s likely we’ll see more targeted attacks in 2012 . These attacks will continue to be a priority issue for certain businesses and organizations .We’re always looking to stay ahead of the threats . Here are 10 trends we think will be the main factors affecting the IT security landscape in 2012 .

7. Data regulations proliferate and penalties grow

New regulations and tougher penalties for data breaches will be major concerns for organizations . Proposed laws like the U . S . Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the European Union’s Data Protection Directive, will have a major impact on data protection and privacy for businesses and private citizens alike .

8. Mobile payment technology may be new target

We’re eagerly waiting for the widespread availability of convenient payment technologies like near field communication (NFC) in mobile devices . We expect cybercriminals are just as eager to target these integrated platforms that hold your life and your money .

9. Cloud services are back in vogue

Some companies were slow to adopt cloud services because of perceived insecurity . But many organizations are now starting to use these services . That means more focus on encrypting data wherever it flows,rather than just protecting the device or the network .

10. The basics still go wrong

Security basics like patching and password management will remain a significant challenge to IT security . Keeping your devices healthy by identifying missing patches in areas commonly targeted by the bad guys will help significantly . Technologies like file and folder encryption will smooth the adoption of cloud services and new devices .

Download: SophosSecurityThreatReport2012.pdf