Internet Security Featured Article

The global expert in real-time Web and e-mail threat protection said that the exploding smartphone market and growing tablet device market, the rise in online banking, and a shift from simple exploit kits to more sophisticated Malware-as-a-Service model for cybercriminals, top the list of cyber concerns.

These trends were described in the M86 (News - Alert) Security Labs Predictions 2011 Report that was assembled through comprehensive research conducted by M86 Security Labs, a group of security analysts specializing in e-mail and Web threats, from spam to malware.

"In 2010, we've seen dramatic increases in issues regarding mobile malware, as well as growing complexity of Trojan horse attacks in the banking industry," said Bradley Anstis (News - Alert), vice president of technical strategy for M86 Security, in a press release. "And although Malware-as-a-Service isn't new, we're seeing it take hold. New service offerings signal that the shift may become more prominent in the coming year. In the same way that cloud computing is growing for commercial organizations, cybercrime is also moving this same way."

According to the report, exploding smartphone market and growing tablet demand lead to more mobile malware. Currently, the RIM operating system is leading the market but over the last year Google's (News - Alert) Android operating system and phones running the Google OS have seen tremendous growth, said M86.

The data-stealing Trojans are getting more sophisticated and there has been a lot of attention surrounding data-stealing Trojans such as ZeuS. Also, Exploit Kits, known as "Attack Toolkits," have become popular with cybercriminals over the last couple of years.

M86 Security Labs has recognized a trend whereby the different players in the cybercrime ecosystem are offering their products as services, by teaming up with other players. The come together to offer complete, one-stop shop cybercrime-as-a-service capabilities.

“The vulnerabilities and predictions outlined in this report are intended to provide an overview of what is likely to be a much larger set of threats in the coming year. Smartphone adoption in the enterprise will only continue to grow, and, as the focus shifts toward the tablet platform, we anticipate malware targeting all of the mobile platforms to increase in 2011,” said Anstis. “To outsmart the bad guys, organizations need to first understand where the threats are likely to come from, and then second define exactly what needs to be protected, and how critical it is. But just as important, they must lay out their best practice strategies and policies for proactively combating and staying ahead of the emerging security threats."

Read a related article on TMCnet “Defense Secretary Gates Warns of Cyber Threat in the Future.”