Therefore, you need to protect all points of attack, on all of your devices. If there’s one thing for certain about coming threats in 2017, it’s that they’re coming from all directions.
Don’t trust the cloud with everything.Some good news? The US Federal Aviation Administration is scrambling to put rules into effect as we speak, which govern when and where commercial drones can fly.Īnd to personally prepare yourself for the threats emerging in 2017, here are a few security tips that you can follow: And for drones, device security standards as well as usage restrictions need to be put in place. For IoT, service providers and device manufacturers alike need to enhance privacy settings on gadgets, develop top-notch user authentication for users to even access them, and build strong security right into the device hardware. For the cloud, providers will have to improve the security of authentication systems. Will word of all these evolving and emerging threats, you may be asking yourself what must be done to prepare for these attacks. McAfee Labs’ new report even foresees drone exploit toolkits soon finding their way into the deep corners of the Dark Web. If a crook gets ahold of one-and it isn’t hard for them to-the hacking possibilities are endless. And that’s exactly why they’re so enticing to cybercriminals – they’re now completely omnipresent. Image: McAfee Labs 2017 Threats Predictions InfographicĪcross all threats McAfee Labs predicts for 2017, what stands out most to me is a growth in “dronejacking.” Drones have recently boomed in popularity, and not just for the Average Joe: they’re now used by law enforcement, farmers, and the media alike. Specifically, that means more social engineering, and more cleverly computed phishing attacks. But that too will soon change, with cybercriminals preparing to use machine learning to elevate their own attacks. Now here’s a new one: machine learning-artificial intelligence enabling computer programs to teach themselves to grow when exposed to new data-has recently been used by cybersecurity researchers to fight threats. For instance, mobile phones will be faced with more ransomware attempts, and entire app markets could feel the heat of compromise.
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Overall, one thing is for certain: IoT is going to bring user privacy closer to its demise in 2017.īeyond their more traditional attack methods, such as manipulating IoT devices, cybercriminals are predicted to get more creative with the types of malware they’re delivering, as well as what software and devices they’re attempting to compromise. When it comes to type of attack, ransomware is predicted to be the biggest threat to IoT. Now, where does IoT fall in the new Threats Predictions Report? Well, the opportunities to steal data, deny operations, or cause damage using IoT will be broad, with the hubs that manage IoT devices coming in as the prime targets. In this scenario, they’d overload cloud systems with activity so that they shut down-then demand a ransom from the victim to turn their access back on. They may even start initiating “Denial of service for ransom” attacks as well. Attackers-mostly those looking to get a hefty paycheck-will take advantage of user carelessness to speedily and anonymously steal large amounts of sensitive data.
Why will the cloud be an easy “in” for crooks? For starters, users are expected to mismanage their cloud storage systems in 2017. This only puts a larger target on the cloud’s back, as cybercriminals will be more than ready to take advantage of outdated authentication systems and explore new attack vectors. In 2017, more and more people are predicted to put faith in storing data in the cloud. The cloud has been a puzzling problem for cybersecurity experts since its inception, and unfortunately, its security is predicted to worsen. With McAfee Labs releasing their 2017 Threats Predictions Report, we got to take a look into the future, as they envisioned which threats would increase (specifically around the cloud and IoT), which were on the horizon (like “ dronejacking”), and what will be needed to stop them. And unfortunately, it looks like there’s no sign of slowing. From widespread IoT attacks, to ransomware campaigns that extract millions of dollars, cyberthreats have continued to grow in size and impact throughout the past 12 months.