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Last year, people went online for more than just
news and email. They went online to build social networks, participate
in virtual worlds, share music, manage their finances, and more. And
for every innovation that makes it easier for people to connect to
information and each other, there’s someone trying to exploit it. In
2008, here’s how we predict identity thieves, hackers, and other
Internet ne’er-do-wells will try to get into your computer—and your
wallet. |
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- More people than ever will
participate in social networks like Facebook and MySpace—making those
sites an even larger target for information thieves.
- The volume of online financial
transactions (banking/online bill payment/shopping) will increase,
again, as will attempts to steal financial information.
- The volume and diversity of spam
you receive will increase as spammers seek out new and novel ways to
get around filters.
- You’ll send even more text
e-communication (through instant messenger, cell phones, and PDAs), and
hackers will develop even more instant malware and mobile browser
exploits.
- Someone at a major corporation,
retailer or health care institution will have their computer stolen or
hacked, putting the personal information of millions at risk.
- More people will use the free (and
unsecured) wireless networks available at the airport, hotel, the local
coffee shop, or library, and more data thieves will disguise their own
wireless networks as legitimate hotspots to lure the unsuspecting.
- Peer-to-peer file sharing will
increase—and so will the likelihood of sharing infected files.
- You’ll get an email claiming to be
eBay, PayPal, or your bank asking you to confirm your account details,
including providing your passwords or PIN.
- Cyber-criminals will continue to
use breaking news stories as a way to distribute viruses, Trojan Horse
programs, bots and other threats to online security.
- Cyber attacks aimed at online
gamers will continue to increase in numbers and severity, putting
personal information at risk.
Sound scary? Without updated security
software, these threats can cripple a PC or steal valuable personal
information. To keep your PC safe from online threats, it is more
important than ever to keep your online security software up to date.
Visit our Update Center to download the
latest Trend Micro product updates and patches.
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