Malware: What to Watch Out for in 2012

Cybercriminals continue to find new ways to try to take advantage of technology users. Learn about last year's malware trends and what could be in store for us in 2012.
January 2012
by Robin Wark

With the increased use of Android devices, iPhones and iPads, more and more people are taking their tech – and malware – on the go.

Mobile malware was one of the malware trends for 2011. Hackers and hijackers began to focus more on Android vulnerabilities and potential iOS security flaws. Google pulled 21 apps from its Android Market in a malware scare, according to the Memeburn website, which touts its "tech-savvy news and analysis." Security researchers and the tech media predict that mobile devices will be once again under attack in 2012.

"With many mobile phone payment systems coming into place, tablets and phones are quickly becoming equivalent to the average person's wallet," columnist Rowan Puttergill wrote in an Jan. 12 column on Memeburn. "Most of these devices are almost permanently connected to social networks like Facebook and Google+, meaning that a compromise can offer a wealth of identity information to thieves and fraudsters. Security on these devices is going to be a hot news topic throughout 2012."

Other Trends in 2011

Fake anti-virus products also grabbed attention in 2011. These programs tried to dupe users into buying a useless product by telling them their machine was infected.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) also became more widely found in 2011. These are specific pieces of malware targeted at a certain organization. The idea is to steal information from the company.

Cyber criminals were unafraid of taking on important companies in 2011. For example, they went after DigiNotar, a Dutch certificate authority. Fraudulent certificates were issues. These certificates would allow criminals to impersonate popular websites and intercept traffic. Because of this breach, the Dutch government took over DigiNotar in early September, 2011. The company declared bankruptcy later that month.

Predictions for 2012

Security analysts expect mobile platforms to remain major targets. This includes phishing scams as well. In these situations, users receive communications from what looks to be an official source, but it is really just an attempt to get them to reveal confidential information.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will continue to be used for scams. These usually feature links that, instead of leading you to a funny or news-worthy video, cause an infection. Other social networking attacks can lead to identity theft.

Cyber criminals are also likely to try to continue to exploit vulnerabilities in Java. Some security analysts go so far as to suggest users uninstall Java entirely.

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