2013 Threats Predictions | Blogs

I was reading the "2013 threat predictions" report issued by McAfee labs (An Intel Company). According to that report, they have predicted the decline of the world famous hacker-activist group 'Anonymous'. In the last few years, DDoS attacks have significantly increased in size and frequency and are wreaking havoc on businesses of all sizes and industries. Now finally it is getting attention which it deserves.

McAfee Labs researchers recently debated the leading following threats in 2013:

Mobile worms on victims’ machines that buy malicious apps and steal via tap-and-pay NFC
Malware that blocks security updates to mobile phones
Mobile phone ransomware “kits” that allow criminals without programming skills to extort payments
Covert and persistent attacks deep within and beneath Windows
Rapid development of ways to attack Windows 8 and HTML5
Large-scale attacks like Stuxnet that attempt to destroy infrastructure, rather than make money
A further narrowing of Zeus-like targeted attacks using the Citadel Trojan, making it very difficult for security products to counter
Malware that renews a connection even after a botnet has been taken down, allowing infections to grow again
The “snowshoe” spamming of legitimate products from many IP addresses, spreading out the sources and keeping the unwelcome messages flowing
SMS spam from infected phones. What’s your mother trying to sell you now?
“Hacking as a Service”: Anonymous sellers and buyers in underground forums exchange malware kits and development services for money
The decline of online hacktivists Anonymous, to be replaced by more politically committed or extremist groups
Nation states and armies will be more frequent sources and victims of cyberthreats.